Bruins' Marchand-Bergeron-Pastrnak Line Emerging As NHL's Best
By Matt Dolloff, CBS Boston
BOSTON (CBS) -- The Bruins' 10-6-0 start to the season may have come to you as a pleasant surprise. But it's clear that the team is outperforming last year's squad so far, in all three zones. If they can keep up their level of play over the course of the season, they will almost certainly make it back to the Stanley Cup Playoffs.
One of the major reasons that the Bruins have such a good chance of returning to the postseason is that they may have the single best line in the NHL.
The top line of Brad Marchand, Patrice Bergeron, and David Pastrnak line has passed the vaunted "eye test" so far this season. They are a relentless group of forecheckers with impeccable chemistry, always having a good feel for where each other are on the ice. Advanced analytics would bear out that the trio is controlling the puck better than any top line in the league right now.
I'd be the first to tell you that shot attempt percentage, known widely as CorsiFor, does not tell the whole story. But possessing the puck more than the other guys and outshooting the opposition while you're on the ice certainly isn't a bad thing. Among all NHL players with at least 10 games played this season, Marchand (61.37 percent), Bergeron (61.31 percent), and Pastrnak (60.97 percent) are first, third, and fourth in the league in that category. That is fairly mind-blowing.
But, as I alluded to previously, controlling the puck is just one-half of the equation. There's still the all-important second part, which is to take that puck that you're possessing so well and actually put it in the back of the net. Having the best Corsi is a relatively pointless endeavor if you can't actually finish some of those shot attempts. The Marchand-Bergeron-Pastrnak line has combined for 17 goals and 34 points on the season; Pastrnak alone is tied for second in the NHL with 10 goals.
There are, of course, plenty of other great top lines around the NHL, and you could argue that there are many individual talents on those lines that you'd take over any of the Bruins' top-three. Jonathan Toews and Patrick Kane are as talented as any duo in the league when placed on a line together. Steven Stamkos and Nikita Kucherov have been an elite combo for the Tampa Bay Lightning. And the Winnipeg Jets are off to a solid start thanks to a breakout season by centerman Mark Scheifele (league-leading 21 points) and dynamic rookie sniper Patrik Laine (league-leading 12 goals).
The difference between those lines and the Bruins' top line is that they are largely incomplete. Those lines don't have the consistent across-the-board performance that the Bruins have had with Marchand, Bergeron, and Pastrnak. The Blackhawks would have the best argument against the Bruins' trio if they had Artemi Panarin flanking Toews and Kane on the left wing, but Panarian was recently bumped from that line in favor of Vincent Hinostroza, who has zero points in nine games. That line has been something of a revolving door on the left side; the Bruins have the benefit of consistency.
One of the obvious drawbacks to the Bruins' top line is the offensive performance of Bergeron (four points in 13 games), who has lagged behind his linemates to this point the season. But with 48 shots on goal, Bergeron's shooting percentage of 4.2 percent is bound to improve, and his all-around game has not suffered. You can safely assume he will end up with around 20-30 goals and 60-70 points while playing world-class defense at the center position.
Another argument against the Marchand-Bergeron-Pastrnak line is their competition to this point in the season. They have yet to face teams like the Blackhawks, Ducks, Sharks, Kings, Oilers, and Flyers, who all boast strong high-end talent on their top lines. It will be easier to make a collective assessment of their place in the league when they face more strong competition. But you also can't fault them for the schedule they've been given, and they've performed at an elite level against the opponents put in front of them.
Marchand, Bergeron, and Pastrnak have controlled the action better than any three forwards in the league, and they have consistently finished their chances on top of that. There are plenty of comparable lines around the NHL, some of which have players who are arguably more dynamic than anyone on the Marchand-Bergeron-Pastrnak line. But in terms of consistency, chemistry, and production, no forward group has performed better than the top line of the Bruins.
Matt Dolloff is a writer for CBSBostonSports.com. Any opinions expressed do not necessarily reflect that of CBS or 98.5 The Sports Hub. Have a news tip or comment for Matt? Follow him on Twitter @mattdolloff and email him at mdolloff@985thesportshub.com.
