Bruins breakdown: Could Sean Kuraly be a better fit higher up in Bruins' lineup?

The Bruins might have been sitting at the top of the NHL standings when the 2019-20 season came to a sudden halt, but there were still plenty of question marks surrounding this B's club ahead of another promising playoff push. As we attempt to ride out this stoppage, BSJ will examine a couple of lineup questions and concerns each week as they pertain to Boston and its hopes of hitting the ground (err, ice) running if/when hockey returns this season.

First up in our Bruins breakdown: A look at Sean Kuraly's potential fit beyond the fourth line: 

The Bruins know full well what a locked-in Sean Kuraly can offer to their versatile and valued checking line. 

Kuraly’s profile (6-foot-2, 212 pounds) certainly fits the profile of a fourth-line grinder. But the 27-year-old forward is far from just a heat-seeking missile when he hops over the boards. 

His wheels set him apart from some of the heavier bodies usually scattered throughout a bottom-six grouping — allowing him to capitalize on the rush and excel as both the first man in or an F3 option on a suffocating forecheck. 

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Kuraly might not pile on the points with regularity, but his quick release and crafty play with the puck often lead to him serving as the primary driver of offense on his lines. 

Boston’s run to the 2019 Stanley Cup Final might have served as Kuraly’s finest stretch in a black and gold sweater — as his return from injury late in the first round against the Maple Leafs helped energized a fourth line that was out-attempted, 41-27, in 31:04 of 5v5 ice time before he was given the green light to play.

Some of those unsightly puck-possession metrics might have been the byproduct of poor offensive-zone starts and regular matchups against top-six foes, but Boston’s fourth line managed to tilt the ice back in its favor as the B’s carved their way through the playoff bracket.

Kuraly, the man in the middle of that unit, was a force in Games 6-7 against Toronto — with Boston posting a plus-2 goal differential and outshooting Toronto by a 12-6 margin in 22:15 of 5v5 TOI during that stretch. During the Cup Final against St. Louis, it was Kuraly that led all Bruins forwards in total scoring with five points (two goals, three assists) over the seven-game series. 

Kuraly and Co. certainly set a high bar for themselves going into the 2019-20 campaign — and so far, the results have occasionally fallen short of those lofty expectations. 



Much as last year, Kuraly and his linemates haven't been handed much in terms of favorable ice this year, with just 24.07% of his faceoffs coming in the offensive zone when paired with his most regular linemate in Chris Wagner As such, it should come as little surprise that during that duo’s 478:57 of 5v5 TOI together, the Bruins have been on the wrong end of many puck-possession and shot metrics — with Boston trailing in shot attempts (minus-88 differential), shots on goal (minus-56 differential) and goals scored (23 goals against to 13 goals for). 

Now, such unsightly numbers are often just part of the gig for fourth-liners — many of whom are thrown to the wolves when it comes to slowing down a top-six unit with unfavorable ice positioning.

Still, when it comes to limiting scoring chances, Boston's regular fourth-line unit has struggled to replicate last year's success.

Last season, the Kuraly + Wagner duo relinquished 1.77 goals per 60 minutes of 5v5 action. This season, that total has risen by more than a full goal to 2.88. Not exactly what you want to see, even if that group's goals for per 60-minute rate has risen from 1.59 to 1.63.

Given his fourth line's dip as far as stymieing chances go, Bruce Cassidy has spent most of this season juggling that grouping — switching in the likes of Joakim Nordstrom, Par Lindholm and Anton Blidh.

Boston's priority has been to find a reliable, physical trio that can hold its own against some major firepower, especially come the postseason. But Cassidy's shuffling has also shed light on another intriguing development — Kuraly's blend of size and speed can translate well further up the lineup.

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Previous attempts at slotting Kuraly up to the third-line center role before Charlie Coyle's arrival led to some decidedly mixed results, but slotting Kuraly on the wing has led to some encouraging results for a line that, despite its puck-possession dominance, has lagged a bit when it comes to actually converting on its scoring chances.

When Coyle and his line are at their best, it's often shielding the puck away from the opposition down low and waiting for holes to open up in their defensive structure. Kuraly's proficiency on the forecheck, whether it be down low or up above the slot, checks off plenty of the boxes that Boston is looking for in terms of a suitable linemate for Coyle.

Yes, Kuraly may boast the reputation of a sniper, but his north-south style of play has yielded some positive results for the B's — as a line featuring both him and Coyle has accounted for five goals scored (and three goals against) in 93:00 of 5v5 ice time.

If we wanted to stretch this out in terms of scoring rates, that duo has a goals for per 60 minutes mark of 3.23, and a goals against per 60 minutes mark of 1.94. 

(For reference, Boston's top line of Marchand-Bergeron-Pastrnak has a GF/60 rate of 4.06 — and a GA/60 rate of 2.17).



“He seems to be on the puck a little more," Cassidy said earlier this month of Kuraly's fit as a winger higher up in the lineup. "Be able to make a few more plays — to be able to chase down pucks. I think when you’re a centerman, you’re always worried about, if you get behind the other team’s goal line, you’ve got 180 feet to go and get back to the top of your crease where you’ve got some responsibilities. Especially in our system and D-zone, our centerman have to be freed up to move around.

"There’s a little bit of that that comes into play, But still, as a centerman, he’s certainly made plays before. It’s just sometimes, you’re in a little more confined space. So you limit maybe what you can do and sometimes that works to his advantage — less options, just play straight line and all of the sudden, he finds himself in behind the D with his puck because of his foot speed and his ability to play north-south."

As Boston continued to find suitable spots for both Ondrej Kase and Nick Ritchie, Kuraly functions as a safe alternative as a speedy, physical option with Coyle, especially as another third-line candidate in Anders Bjork looks to adjust to the heavier style of play one should expect when (or perhaps if), playoff hockey arrives later this spring/summer.

Kuraly's promising play away from his usual checking role even led to the forward getting a look in the top-six during Boston's last game — a 2-0 win over the Flyers on March 10. In that bout, Cassidy eventually slotted Kuraly to the left of David Krejci, while bumping 48-goal scorer David Pastrnak to right wing.

Even if that trio has been outshot, 6-4, in 6:40 of 5v5 ice time together, it's another promising sign of Cassidy's willingness to see how Kuraly can inject some energy into some stagnant lines.

"Kuraly is a good responsible player with Krejci and Pasta. ... The Kuraly one is a bit of an outlier, because he’s typically in a different spot," Cassidy said. "But because he’s playing left wing, he got a chance to move up, and I thought he made some nice plays on that line. Showed some offensive acumen. Good to know.”

If NHL hockey returns in some form to close out the 2019-20 campaign, the Bruins will have multiple questions that need answering — namely, the challenges regarding conditioning that comes from an extended layoff.

But even if Boston shakes off the rust in time for the playoffs, the Bruins still have to solve a number of issues when it comes to maximizing the potential of its forward corps, especially away from some of the big guns like Bergeron, Marchand and Pastrnak.

An energized and engaged Kuraly could come in handy as Cassidy and Co. look for those missing pieces down the stretch.