Who are best candidates to slot in (& out) of Bruins' lineup ahead of a pivotal Game 5?

As we noted shortly after the Bruins scuttled a prime opportunity to put the Islanders on the ropes at Nassau Coliseum in Game 4, a change might be needed in Boston’s bottom-six unit if the B’s want to effectively tilt ice back in their favor ahead of a pivotal Game 5 on Monday night. 

And Bruce Cassidy seemed to agree on Sunday— especially when it comes to what was largely a listless showing from the hodgepodge of a line that is the grouping of Charlie Coyle, Jake DeBrusk and Nick Ritchie. 

While the Bruins would welcome that third line chipping in with complimentary scoring or — at the very least — breaking even while the B’s big guns shoulder most of the O-zone burden, Boston has labored when this Coyle line has been deployed against the Isles. 

In the three games in which that unit has been out on the ice together (DeBrusk was bumped up to the Krejci line for Game 2), the Bruins have been outscored, 2-0. You could at least find a silver lining if that line was at least offering value by extending O-zone possessions or wearing down their matchups by way of a punishing forecheck, by that has also been hard to come by in a series where all of the focus for Barry Trotz has been on slowing down both the Bergeron and Krejci lines. 

“The third line didn’t generate much last night,” Cassidy said Sunday. “Well, didn’t generate anything, to be honest with you. They’ve had better games. Obviously a breakdown on the last goal. Our winger dove down — should’ve had more patience. Allowed them to get to the middle of the ice and it kind of snowballed from there where guys are a little late because we didn’t do our job first. So that part of it hurt us. But at the end of the day, we’ll look at it for tomorrow.”

A change in personnel on that third line seems inevitable ahead of Game 5, but Cassidy pushed back on the notion that his fourth line of Curtis Lazar, Chris Wagner and Sean Kuraly is also due for a facelift.

“I thought last night was our best game from our fourth line in terms of playing below the goal line, getting pucks deep, being physical,” Cassidy said. “I thought Sean was trying to do a little more, Wags had a good chance in the first period on a wraparound, Kuraly in the slot later was just off net. 

"They did a better job than they have been in terms of creating offense on how they can best do it, which is forecheck, turnovers, putting some pressure on the D. And their penalty kill was good.”

So, barring any potential (and welcomed) returns for Brandon Carlo and/or Kevan Miller on the blue line, the most sizable change to the B’s lineup on Monday night will likely involve shuffling through that third line in hopes that new blood will be able to give Coyle and Co. a bit more of a spark. 

Of course, the easiest fix would probably be to just slot Karson Kuhlman in at right wing and bump the guy currently in that spot in DeBrusk out of the lineup. 

After a strong start to the playoffs, DeBrusk has largely fallen off since being put back with Coyle on his weak side — with the hot-and-cold winger struggling to get much in terms of consistent production against New York.

And while Kuhlman may not be as dynamic or effective of a next-man-up option when compared to, say, what Ondrej Kase could have provided this club had he been healthy, you know what you’re going to get with a guy like Kuhlman. The Minnesota Duluth product’s offensive ceiling might be limited, but he can make his presence felt thanks to his straight-line speed and willingness to be the first man in on the forecheck. 

Again, not flashy — but if, at the bare minimum, that third line can make life hell for New York’s puck carriers in their own zone, it’s a major improvement when compared to what that third line showcased in Game 4, which wasn't all that much. 

And in Game 2 when the Ritchie-Coyle-Kuhlman line was rolled out, they actually managed to score on their first shift of the evening — with Coyle burying a chance after both Kuhlman and Ritchie managed to get the puck through the neutral zone. 

But Kuhlman’s insertion into the lineup doesn’t necessarily signal that DeBrusk will be the odd man out. Instead, Cassidy could opt to bump DeBrusk back over to his natural spot at left wing and put Ritchie on level nine for Game 5.

That might seem to be a drastic move, at least when comparing Ritchie and DeBrusk based on their production during the regular season. But you could also make the case that DeBrusk back at LW offers a potential higher return that what Ritchie has showcased at that spot so far in this series.

While Ritchie’s value could perhaps be maximized in a series against Tampa Bay where he’d be tabbed as a potential deterrent against a Pat Maroon, the power forward hasn’t been all that noticeable against the Isles, especially now that he’s no longer placed at the netfront on the top power-play unit. 

Of course, even though Ritchie hasn’t generated much in terms of even-strength offense against New York, he’d still help this club if he was doling out punishing checks with regularity like, say, a Cal Clutterbuck, but that also hasn’t exactly been the case either.

With his special-teams reps curtailed (unlike DeBrusk, Ritchie can’t be pressed into PK duty), Ritchie very well could be the odd man out if Cassidy opts for a more straight-line, speedier third line in DeBrusk-Coyle-Kuhlman. 

Even though DeBrusk has logged plenty of minutes at right wing this year, it’s pretty evident that he’s much more comfortable and confident when he’s at his natural position — especially when it comes to making reads and having the freedom of no longer having to play the puck as often on his backhand. 

During DeBrusk’s strong start against the Capitals, he was slotted back at left wing (albeit on the fourth line) and made an impact with two goals in his first two games of the playoffs. Rather than outright scratching him for Game 5, moving DeBrusk over to left wing might stand as the best route toward getting the winger back to his game. 

If Boston really wanted a drastic overhaul, we could have a situation in which both Ritchie and DeBrusk are benched — with Trent Frederic standing as a likely candidate to play alongside Kuhlman.

Had Cassidy showed an indication to mix up that fourth line, Frederic’s postseason debut would seem like much more of a certainty. The ornery winger hasn’t played since May 11 — but could be a worthwhile addition if Boston is looking for a bit more snarl. Frederic’s ability to both throw his weight around and draw penalties (15 this season - good for third on the team) could be just what Boston needs to get back to playing to their strengths in this series.

At this point, the safest bet would likely involve Kuhlman in and one of Ritchie/DeBrusk out — with either shuffle at least offering some semblance of a different look on a third line that needs to make its presence felt, one way or the other. 

Whichever route Cassidy takes, it certainly will be a welcome change from what we’ve seen so far from that unit.