Ryan: Bruins hoping David Backes puts an end to revolving door at 3rd-line center

David Backes has relished his role as a power forward during his 12 years in the NHL — serving as a steam train out on the ice and clearing space with his 6-foot-3, 220-pound frame at both center and on the wing.

Now, in his third year with the Bruins, Backes is ready to take on more of a role as a conductor.

Bruce Cassidy’s lineups have been top-heavy to open the 2018-19 season, with the Boston’s go-to trio of Patrice Bergeron, David Pastrnak and Brad Marchand accounting for 64 percent of the team’s total scoring through three games this season.

One factor in the B’s lack of scoring depth lies in the vacant spot at third line center — with Cassidy and Co. looking to replicate the production that Riley Nash (15 goals, 41 points) achieved last year while primarily skating with Backes and Danton Heinen.

So far, the B’s have struggled to fill the void left by Nash’s departure to Columbus in free agency, with the hopes of youngsters like Jakob Forsbacka Karlsson and Trent Frederic seizing the spot out of camp falling flat after muted training camps.

Forced to sort through their options at the NHL level, the Bruins plugged in three different centers on the third line through their first three games of the regular season — with Backes serving as the latest candidate during Boston’s 6-3 home-opening win over the Senators on Monday.



Ultimately, the revamped line of Backes and wingers Anders Bjork and Heinen didn’t factor into Boston’s offensive barrage against Ottawa, with most of the heavy lifting provided once again by the Bergeron line (five goals, six assists).

Still, after spending most of his tenure with the Black and Gold playing on the wing, Backes certainly felt back at home skating at the pivot Monday.

“You’re more involved in the game,” Backes said of the responsibilities of centering a line. “You’re taking the face-off win, that one-on-one battle to start. And then, I feel like there’s an ownership when it’s Backes’ line called. It’s like, 'This is you and your guys'. You need to be the squadron leader out there, directing traffic or making the calls to how the puck is going to get out of our zone, how it’s going to get into their zone, whether to get back or get to the net, or looking for a scoring chance.”

While Backes provided one of the defensive plays of the afternoon by deflecting a Thomas Chabot wrister from the slot with a kick save — saving a surefire Sens goal — the third line struggled to get going against the Sens, spending most of their reps in their own zone.

During even-strength play, both Bjork and Heinen were on the ice for just four scoring plays for the Black and Gold, along with seven and six scoring plays against their own club, respectively. In the middle, Backes split five scoring chances for and against over 11:34 of even-strength time while also winning 50 percent of his faceoffs.

Despite the lack of Grade-A scoring chances from his third line, Cassidy seemed pleased with what he saw from the latest audition for third-line center.

“I kind of like Backs in the middle,” Cassidy said. “I think Bjork had his legs under him tonight. Anders just has to learn how to manage the puck, when to make plays, when not to hang onto it because he’s got it a lot. And it’s just for him to figure out, okay if I do give it up in this league it’s tough to get it back, so we’d like him to possess it even more. I liked his speed.

"Danton’s game was coming. He was very responsible, so I thought that line worked out well for us. David can only speak to how he liked being in the middle of the ice. It’s one game, but certainly that’ll be the plan going forward unless something changes in the next few days.”

Backes is no stranger to playing center, even earning a Selke Trophy nomination in 2012 as the primary man in the middle of the St. Louis Blues. Still, Backes, 34, knows that his peak seasons at the pivot are in the past, and that his line won’t scorch opposing defenses like the Bergeron trio.

Still, that won’t keep him and his two younger wingers from emulating the way in which Bergeron, Marchand and Pastrnak operate as a 200-foot-unit.

“Bergy is steady and in control, kind of directing traffic, while the two guys on the wing are just making plays,” Backes said. “They’re able to have a little bit more freedom, because they know if things go awry, Bergy is in the right spot to either clean it up or help them get back or keep it moving forward. Not that we’re going to be Bergy-Marchy-Pasta, but we can start with some similar chemistry, some similar attributes and keep moving forward so that we can be responsible and be productive.”

There’s always a chance for someone like Frederic or Forsbacka Karlsson to punch their ticket back up to the NHL after a couple of productive weeks down in Providence. Still, given the lack of success with lineup shuffling so far — as well as the production from a revamped fourth line featuring Sean Kuraly, Noel Acciari and Chris Wagner on Monday — Backes stands as the best bet for the Bruins right now on that pivotal third line.

As expected, the veteran skater is up for the task.

“It was a concerted effort,” Backes said of his line’s job transitioning the puck up the ice Monday. “And with some younger guys buying into that, we created a few chances too. We get that a little more in-sync and the back of the net should be in the not-too-distant future for us.”