With David Krejci reunited with Taylor Hall, Bruins’ ‘second’ line has all the makings of an offensive juggernaut

PLYMOUTH, Mass. - Jim Montgomery has been a busy man over the last few months.

Even though he has yet to officially dictate practices and carry out drills from the frozen sheet at Warrior Ice Arena, the B’s new bench boss has already made the rounds when it comes to reaching out to his new roster — forging connections via quick phone calls, Zooms and various other channels of communication. 

Some of those meetings, such as the ones involving captain Patrice Bergeron, have already been wide-ranging — with Montgomery already starting to pick the brain of Boston’s leader in the dressing room, while also pitching his own system tweaks and configurations.

For other players, these chats have been rather informal — with both parties doling out the small talk that becomes more of a formality during these check-ins during the summer months.

Count Taylor Hall among those who still plans on having an extended chat with Montgomery in the coming days. But even during those early meetings, Hall tipped his hand when it came to expressing his hopes for the 2022-23 campaign. 

"I think he's really excited,” Montgomery said of Hall. “I only got to spend five minutes with him yesterday while he was lifting. We're gonna sit down tomorrow a little more in earnest. But I know that he texted me during the summer before Krech had re-signed (and said), ‘Is Krejci coming back?’ So I think he's pretty excited."

Hall has good reason to be thrilled at the sight of No. 46 anchoring his line once again.

All things considered, the Bruins lucked out last season when it came to the play of Erik Haula and how Boston managed to salvage some steady production out of its second line — with Boston outscoring opponents, 27-17, during their 416 minutes of 5v5 ice time last season. 

Very strong numbers, no doubt. But during the brief time in which Hall and Krejci were locked in on a line together in the spring of 2021, that top-six unit wasn’t an effective grouping — it was an outright cheat code.

Even though Hall’s rush-heavy style of play would seem to clash with Krejci’s propensity to dictate pace and slow the game down, both skaters diced up opposing defenses during their brief time together — with Boston holding some absurd advantages in …  

Shot attempts: 224-117
Shots on goal: 124-64
Scoring chances: 114-53
Goals scored: 14-1 (!)   

…in just 193:13 of 5v5 ice time together. 

Of course, it’s unrealistic to expect that a Hall + Krejci duo is going to replicate those same absurd scoring totals come October and beyond. But a re-energized Hall isn’t expressing any doubt when it comes to his ability to once again settle into a groove with the veteran pivot once again.

"I felt Krech and I had a lot of chemistry. A great hockey player,” Hall said of Krejci during Thursday’s Bruins Foundation Golf Tournament at Pinehills Golf Club in Plymouth. “So smart, really good defensively — underrated in that aspect of the game. And he's a guy that's going to help our team, help our locker room and really excited to see him and get back on the ice with him.

“He's one of those guys that I felt was very easy to play with. So I hope that he hits the ground running with our group. And personally, if I'm playing with him through parts of this season, to get that chemistry back — I don't think it's gonna be too difficult.”

Hall and Krejci picking up where they left off (even if those tangible scoring numbers are perhaps not so lopsided) would stand as a much-needed lift for a Bruins team that might need to be buoyed with some offense in the early going.

There might be a lot to like about a “first” line featuring a future Hall of Famer in Bergeron, a 20+ goal scorer in Jake DeBrusk and a potential breakout candidate in Pavel Zacha  — but until Brad Marchand officially returns (in late November, at the earliest), it might take some time for that top-six trio to gel.

As such, one should expect the Hall-Krejci-Pastrnak line to earn a steady portion of offensive-zone starts this fall — with Boston potentially relying on the three to be the offensive conduits for this club while more pieces fall into place across the depth chart.

It’s a sizable ask for Hall and Co., but one that Boston’s revamped second line isn’t shirking away from, especially given the personnel in place. For as much as Hall and Krejci’s instant chemistry tends to capture most headlines when it comes to this grouping, having a sniper like Pastrnak in place also makes things easier for all involved, especially when the right wing’s game-breaking one-timer is finding its mark with regularity.

“I mean, two really good hockey players,” Hall said of his linemates. “Felt that Pasta and I developed a lot of chemistry last year, and Krech and I had that from the season prior. I don't want to be too pass happy with those guys. And all three of us can't be too fancy if that's the line that we're playing together. But a lot of speed, a lot of skill. 

For all of the discourse regarding the state of Boston’s depth chart and the influx of injuries that are poised to sap this roster of some high-end talent in October/November, it appears as though Montgomery and Co. don’t have to fret all that much about this Hall-Krejci-Pastrnak trio — a high-octane, uber-skilled assortment of talent that, all things considered, might be considered Boston’s de-facto top line in short order.

They may not possess the two-way acumen found in a line helmed by Bergeron, but a forward line featuring Pastrnak’s shot, Krejci’s playmaking prowess and Hall’s transition talents has all of the pieces in place to make life a living hell for an opposing defensive structure. 

It’s a tantalizing mix of high-end skill — one that Hall can’t wait to harness once games begin in earnest in mid-October. 

"You put good hockey players together, especially those two guys, good things are gonna happen,” Hall said. “I think, like I said, if that's the line starting the year, the goals will come and the plays will happen. For us, we have to get the puck back and we have to be a line that can be relied on defensively in all three zones. Like I said, I don't want to say the word 'exciting' too much. But there's a lot of promise there. It's given me a boost in my step to know that that could be a line that could do a lot of damage this year. 

“Not to say that, with Haula last year, we didn't do some really good things, because we did. But Krech is a great player. He's been a lifelong Bruin and he's a guy that has a lot of stature in our locker room. And we're going to rely on him to play well, to play well defensively, to give us leadership. With Haula last year, we were a very good line. But there's a lot of potential here."