Bruins playoff lineup projection 1.0: Best lines, pairings for Game 1 originally appeared on NBC Sports Boston
The Boston Bruins don’t have to worry about battling for a spot in the 2024 Stanley Cup Playoffs. Not only have they already clinched a spot, the Original Six club also has a chance to win the Presidents’ Trophy for the second consecutive season and be the No. 1 overall seed.
Winning the Atlantic Division for the third straight campaign is a very realistic scenario as well.
The real question marks remaining are 1) which team will the Bruins play in the first round, and 2) what will the lineup look like for Game 1?
The goalie decision is obviously the biggest debate in regards to the lineup, but there are a few other areas of the lineup where some tough decisions will need to be made.
Here’s our first Bruins playoff lineup projection.
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The Marchand-Coyle-DeBrusk trio has played 306:39 of 5-on-5 ice time together, far more than any other Bruins line this season. Coyle is having the best season of his career with 55 points, including a career-high 23 goals. This is the safest line Montgomery can put on the ice. He can trust this group in all three zones to play physical, defend well and create offense.
The Zacha-Pastrnak duo should be kept together. Pastrnak is having another elite season and should be in the Hart Trophy conversation with 102 points (45 goals, 57 assists). The Heinen-Zacha-Pastrnak trio has played just 112:45 together at 5-on-5, but it has outscored opponents 10-4 during that stretch. Heinen is a versatile player who can fit on either wing and on multiple lines. The Bruins probably didn’t envision him as one of their best options at second-line left wing entering the playoffs, but he’s earned that spot as of now.
Geekie and Frederic have played 361 minutes together at even strength this season. They have great chemistry and compliment each other well. Geekie’s 37 points are nine more than his previous career high. Frederic’s 39 are eight better than the career high he set last season. They play a physical brand of hockey, which makes van Riemsdyk a good fit for this group. When healthy, JVR can be a real…