In choosing lines, Bruins coach Bruce Cassidy believes less is more

NHL coaches spend countless hours and sleepless nights trying to build the perfect roster. As we all know, nothing’s perfect. These men project their lines and defensive pairings in their minds and on paper. When it doesn’t work, the lineups are torn up and tweaked – time and again.

When a coach finds a consistent and successful lineup, it normally equals wins. Bruins coach Bruce Cassidy has a different philosophy when it comes to lines.

“The whole line shouldn’t get destroyed if one guy is having a tough night,” Cassidy said.

Instead of focusing on a three-man offensive unit, Cassidy would rather concentrate on finding a strong pair and then added a player who complements the line. This way allows the coach to move pieces around while keeping the heart of the lineup intact.

Former NHL and Stanley Cup-winning coach Mike Keenan believed in the same philosophy, so Cassidy isn’t the first one to think of this. Most forwards believe having a consistent three-man line is the better way to go, but since Cassidy is a former defenseman, and thinks like one, he’s believed in the two-man system ever since he began coaching.

“A long time ago,” Cassidy told BostonSportsJournal.com. “Basically, since I started coaching because I’m a tinkerer. If I see something that I don’t like, I don’t like to (let) it sit all game, or for stretches, so I tried to find pairs that way.”

Given the way the Bruins’ roster is currently constituted, it’s almost out of necessity for Cassidy to build his lineup in such a way. There are open roster spots available and many of the prospects in the organization are vying for those opportunities.

This two-man pair philosophy actually gives younger players more of a chance to earn a roster spot because they’re playing with established veterans that can cover the rookies when they make mistakes. Plus, it allows a coach to move that third man around the lineup.

“It’s the hand you get dealt,” said Cassidy, who’s beginning his first full season in Boston as head coach. “Sometimes you get lines that are established and you don’t want to mess with them and I’ve got no issue with that either. It’s just not the way it’s played out yet but maybe over time it will.”

His coaching philosophy worked well in the minors, so it’ll be interesting to see if it translates into success for the Bruins.

“Starting in the minors you’re consistently motivating guys and try to prod them a little more than maybe in the NHL,” explained Cassidy. “In the minors, you’re coaching them to get better, develop and get out of there, so you’ve got to hurry it up a little bit. It was a way to keep guys honest. If you’re not getting it done, we’ll drop you down and move it around. It’s been like that forever for me.”

On a game-by-game basis, the lines playing well will get more minutes. If one player is struggling, Cassidy has the depth on his roster to make changes without disrupting the chemistry.

Here’s what we know so far: Patrice Bergeron and Brad Marchand will continue as longtime linemates. David Krejci and David Pastrnak will be a pair too. That leaves the third and fourth lines, along with a wing on the top two lines to be figured out.

It’s a strong possibility rookie Anders Bjork will be on the line with Marchand and Bergeron. Fellow prospect Jake DeBrusk could earn the opportunity to play with Krejci and Pastrnak.

If the fourth line is Tim Schaller, Riley Nash and Noel Acciari, that leaves some interesting decisions for general manager Don Sweeney and Cassidy. Frank Vatrano, Jakob Fosbacka-Karlsson, Danton Heinen, Austin Czarnik, Ryan Fitzgerald and Sean Kuraly remain in the mix.

Veteran David Backes is versatile and can play anywhere in the lineup, but he feels like the odd-man out right now because he doesn’t know who he’ll be playing with when the regular season begins.

“I seem to be the orphan child at the moment, but we’re searching (for the best fit)” Backes said. “You find that chemistry and sometimes it’s three-man units that stick together for a long time. Having some familiarity on your line certainly helps with making plays fast and not having to look and see where each guy is because you know second nature where they are. That chemistry goes a long way with how fast the game is.”

Chicago Blackhawks’ three-time Stanley Cup-winning coach Joel Quenneville has dealt with similar “healthy situations” to find a player that’s compatible with a pair. He explained that having more than one option is crucial, especially with a younger team like the Bruins. There will be a growth pattern during the course of the rookie’s season, so it’s best if there are choices to pick from to fill those gaps on the lines.

“A lot of times we’re looking for one guy and it could be two, or three guys that are going to get that look in that spot and we know that will be continually evolving over the course of the season,” he said. “The two that you like together sometimes can change as well, but usually you’ve got two guys that you envision a line to begin with and hopefully you can fit that (third) guy right away and get some consistency. The reason why those two guys work is you probably have some familiarity where you’re starting from two.”

Cassidy’s philosophy is different on the defensive side. If a pair is struggling, he prefers to keep them together to work through it. When the Bruins won the Stanley Cup in 2011, then-coach Claude Julien was able to roll four consistent lines. That was the case throughout Julien’s tenure in Boston when the team was successful.

Cassidy has his own style but he’s also hoping for consistency.

“Maybe we’ll be in a position in January where it’s one through four lines are automatic and let’s roll them over, but I don’t think we’re there yet,” he said.