As the Bruins continue to struggle to score goals five-on-five and find consistent scoring from outside the Patrice Bergeron line, the first question that is often asked usually involves the Bergeron line and breaking up arguably the league’s top trio.

It’s asked on message boards, Twitter and anywhere else Bruins fans can reveal their thoughts from behind their keyboards.

When John from Everett or Mike on the pike call into sports talk radio to discuss the Bruins, it’s the first question asked.

From your favorite Bruins media outlet, to the local newspaper, to the intern writing for the school newspaper, it’s been asked in print.

Is separating Bergeron, Brad Marchand and David Pastrnak the answer to the Bruins scoring woes?

As we’ve seen for most of this year, mixing up lines two through four whether it’s bodies in and out or new lines night after night, nothing has provided the Bruins with the answers they need.

As much as the Bruins are trying to move Jake DeBrusk, no trade is imminent and if the Bruins are to fix their scoring woes in the coming days, it’s going to have to be done internally.

If the Bruins had one, just one single line outside the top one, that was scoring on a consistent basis, this wouldn’t be a discussion.

Remember last year after the Bruins traded for Taylor Hall, they finally had two lines they could roll out back-to-back and rely on to score that timely goal they needed?

Hall, Krejci and Craig Smith. The perfect second line. The perfect line to compliment the Bergeron line.

In the 16 games the Bruins played with Hall, the Hall, Krejci and Smith trio were on the ice for 13 five-on-five goals scored.

Those were the days.

Now, David Krejci is back in the Czech Republic, tearing it up with 14 goals and 29 points in 27 games and Krejci’s replacement in Charlie Coyle hasn’t come close to producing with Hall and Smith like Krejci did.

In 18 games (75:40 of ice time) Hall, Coyle and Smith have been on the ice for just four five-on-five goals scored. They’ve been on the ice for five allowed.

How much of that is the loss of Krejci? How much of that is Hall struggling to produce without Krejci? How much of that is just bad puck luck?

No one really knows, but my guess is that it has a lot to do with who is no longer here and who actually is.

Hall has just one five-on-five shot on goal in his last two games, or you can say in the two games he was bumped from the first line following Brad Marchand’s return from suspension.

He’s spent parts of those two post-Marchand suspension games on the second and third lines.

When it comes to breaking up the Bergeron line, I am for it, if it’s the right combination of top-six forwards.

If it’s Hall playing with Bergeron and Pastrnak, than no thank you. As bad as the Bruins offensive struggles are beyond the Bergeron line, Marchand and Bergeron together give you your best chance at offense, it doesn’t matter who is to their right.

As much as I think consistent minutes with Bergeron and Pastrnak would bring out more of the Hall we saw last year, (eight five-on-five shots on goal in the three games Marchand was suspended) I think it really hurts the production you do actually get from your top line.

So if it’s not Hall, then it’s Smith moving up to the right of Bergeron and Marchand, with Coyle centering Hall and Pastrnak, right?

Meh, doesn’t do much for me, but I guess it’s worth a shot. Yeah?

Part of the Bruins problem was thinking Coyle could be the type of second line center Krejci was for them. Whether or not the Bruins saw Krejci jetting for the Czech Republic or not, failing to truly replace him with an actual second line center was one of many failures this off-season.

Coyle is the perfect third line center and where he should be slotted into each night, but he’s forced onto the second line, trying to make up for the Bruins deficiencies down the middle.

DeBrusk and Matt Grzelcyk provided the Bruins with just enough secondary scoring Thursday night in the Bruins 3-2 victory over the Edmonton Oilers. More of that is needed.

But until that secondary scoring comes on a more consistent basis, breaking up the Bergeron line may be the answer.

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