Until the NHL’s roster freeze ends on December 28, no moves can be made and players cannot be recalled. For now, Boston Bruins head coach Joe Sacco has managed to mix up his lines, and one line has started to click, which has created a ripple effect through the lineup.

Bruins’ revamped second line

It’s about tweaking and finding the right spark. Right now, that spark is Charlie Coyle’s second line, Brad Marchandand Elias Lindholm, the perfect blend of defense that can translate into offense. They played a big role in the Bruins’ win over the Washington Capitals on Monday, and Marchand spoke about the performance of his trio:

“I like our effort. You have to give (Coyle) a lot of credit on those two goals…our defensive play really translates to offense.

Related: Bruins need Jeremy Swayman to start playing better

Coyle playing on the wing has been a huge boost that gives the line two true centers, but he also excels on the wing. He is responsible defensively, a great puck protector, phenomenal under the goal line and can produce. Together, the line has produced – Lindholm has five points in his last five games, including three goals. Marchand is on a ten-game point streak, and Coyle has three points in the last two games. This is a perfect trio to help reduce pressure on the front line.

They only played 33:42 together, but they left their mark. They control possession and the pace of the game. Repressing the opposition has been their strong point, allowing only 0.71 expected goals against. Their execution was their greatest strength.

Every goal scored against the Capitals was a seamless transition from good defense to good offense. The Bruins cleared the zone and Marchand found Lindholm to score the game-winning goal. Their second goal came from Coyle executing an escape and getting behind the defense. For the second race in a row, they connected. This line does the little things well. However, it affected the third line, which begs the question: who should be the third line center?

Solving the Bruins’ third-line center role

The easy answer is Matthew Poitraswho is with the Providence Bruins where he is averaging over a point per game, showing no signs of slowing down offensively. Given the Bruins’ offense, the team could use him and wouldn’t have to give up any assets to add him to the roster. If that doesn’t happen, the third-line center should be Mark Kastelic.

Trent Frederic anchoring a line with Justin Brazeau and Oliver Wahlström didn’t look pretty. They are a strong trio that can wear down opponents when they enter the offensive zone, but they fall apart. They chase the game, getting beaten 22-8 and outshooting 5-1. To make matters worse, the expected goal share is 0.93 to 0.03 for the opposition. They have very little impact, and the central position doesn’t suit Frédéric as well as playing on the wing. His faceoff winning percentage sits at 45.13, and he is best suited as a line driver from the wing position. Who should they trade him for? Kastelic.

Kastelic is the perfect Bruin. He skates fast, performs intense forechecks, plays physical and is not afraid to drop the gloves. He is also a terrific center and can play the position well. His faceoff winning percentage is the best among all Bruins centers (54.98), playing most of the time on the fourth line. He hasn’t been afraid to jump into the mix and create offense, so pairing him with Frédéric could improve things.

The fourth line works perfectly at center, as John Beecher is more than capable of handling that workload. Putting Frédéric in a position to succeed will have better results than putting him at the center. Moving it forward is the key.

Finding the Right Bruins Line Combinations

Finding the right combination will go a long way, especially after Bruins star winger David Pastrnak left the game against the Capitals and his status is uncertain. The second line has now established itself as a legitimate threat, but finding someone to replace Pastrnak will be crucial. Trading Kastelic for Frédéric is the most logical solution and could breathe life into the third line. Until the Bruins make the right decision to bring Poitras back to the big club, this seems like the most logical approach.