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It’s been a year-long fight for the Boston Bruins to get wingers
Danny Paille and
Milan Lucic going. The difference between the two in both their talent and their expectations are wildly steep -- Lucic is a six-million dollar top-liner whereas Paille is a fourth-line speed player -- but their struggles had become a crippling weakness for the Black and Gold. That’s when
Claude Julien, nearly exhausting all other options through the halfway point of perhaps the Bruins’ most turbulent season under his tutelage, decided to stick Lucic and Paille with Boston’s Mr. Everything,
Patrice Bergeron.
It was a trio that Julien stuck with in last night’s 3-0 win over New Jersey, and one that may hang around until it proves to be detrimental for any of the three.
“I think when you look at how they’ve played – and I liked them last night that’s why I went with them again tonight – I’m not going to change anything until I feel the need to change things,” Julien said of the new-look Bergeron line. “But, [Daniel Paille] is skating as good as I’ve seen him skate so far this year. He seemed energized and [Milan Lucic] is finding his game again.”
In two games with Bergeron, Lucic has scored two goals and added two assists. Paille got on the board with an assist against Pittsburgh on Wednesday. The assist was Paille’s first since Dec. 27, and just his second in the last 13 games played. Paille’s also found the puck on his stick in the offensive zone with a ridiculously higher frequency than he did with
Gregory Campbell as his center, and though that hasn’t led to the goals the 30-year-old has longed for, the chances alone are helping his confidence.
“I’m just trying to not take it for granted and capitalize on the chances that I do have,” Paille, who’s scored one goal in 42 games, said. “I’m not gonna score every time, but the thing is to stay focused and positive about it. I know that in time, if I get a chance to stay with them for a little bit longer, I’ll try and make the best of it.
“I know for myself, I’ve said it time and time again, when I’m moving my feet I can be an effective player. If that gets guys moving their feet as well then I’ve done my job there. But there’s a lot more to that and to work ethic and making sure that I compete throughout the whole game.”
The line combined for eight shots on goal in the victory, and dominated the Devils’ top line with relative ease. And a lot of that comes back to Bergeron and the emphasis he puts on his linemates to play a 200-foot game.
“We keep creating chemistry, chances are there; tonight we were matching up against their top line. We had to talk a lot in our zone in order to do the job defensively and then go on the attack,” said Bergeron. “I thought we did a good job of that. Dan was moving his feet and created some chances for us by us hitting him wide, and Looch was using his body, so that made things easy for him.”
Bergeron’s always going to be Bergeron, and the Bruins know that. But it’s Bergeron’s secondary point -- the fact that Paille was skating well and Lucic using his body -- is what will make the Bruins more successful for their second-half run towards the postseason. With Bergeron or without Bergeron, for that matter.
“I think when he plays like that he’s definitely created a lot of chances for himself, but also for his teammates,” Bergeron said of Lucic. “Definitely what we need for him, he’s definitely stepped up his game.”
He echoed similar sentiments on Paille, the former constant winger of a fourth-line that’s struggled to be much of anything more than an own-zone liability in 2014-15.
“[Paille]’s one of those guys that wants to keep improving, keep getting better and is always listening on the bench, us communicating and making sure we’re on the same page,” noted Bergeron. “I think he’s building on his confidence also, and when he moves his feet he’s so fast that he creates some chances, not only for himself but for us. I think he was great the last two games for us.”
The obvious end goal for the Bruins is not a second line that features Paille on the right wing (he’s a natural left winger) and Lucic away from Krejci. But in the now, the Black and Gold seem to know that if there’s anybody on their forward corp that can get these guys back into form, it’s Patrice Bergeron.
Ty Anderson has been covering the Boston Bruins for HockeyBuzz.com since 2010, is a member of the Pro Hockey Writers Association's Boston Chapter, and can be contacted on Twitter, or emailed at Ty.AndersonHB[at]gmail.com
Boston Bruins Blogger •Bruins Feature Columnist • 
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