Another shutout loss led to another reconfiguration of the Bruins’ forward lines ahead of Thursday’s game against the Calgary Flames. One of the changes appears to have a chance of becoming more permanent.

With the David Pastrnak-Elias Lindholm combination stubbornly refusing to click, coach Jim Montgomery decided to move Pavel Zacha to center to play with Pastrnak, a combination that worked quite well last year. Tyler Johnson, who played his first game with the B’s in Toronto on Tuesday, will play on the left wing.

Montgomery tried this Zacha-Pastrnak pairing last week in the 8-2 loss at Carolina, but that game was such a disaster that it’s hard to pin it down to one line. The coach is looking to restart the entire offense.

“Those two played really well together two years in a row,” Montgomery said. “I thought the trio of (Charlie) Coyle, Zacha and (Justin) Brazeau did a good job but we feel like our defensive structure play is in the right place. We don’t see many attacks created. In many of our last games, at 5v5, we haven’t had many A-level opportunities. But the message to the team is that we’re not sacrificing anything we do in terms of control, we just need to get to the tougher areas more regularly and be more direct offensively.

Montgomery said inside ice production isn’t all about the forwards.

“The way we’re built, getting inside with our size should be natural,” Montgomery said. “I think our forwards, when we own the O-zone or when we’re out of the race when we’re in it, we do it. I think our defenders need to try to pound the puck more. Because the attackers are there and they are not rewarded. We look for the next play instead of being direct.

Zacha, who played much of the season as a left winger in a line with Lindholm and Pastrnak, is looking forward to returning to the middle.

“I feel most comfortable playing center,” said Zacha, who was Pastrnak’s center last year when the winger scored 47 goals. “I know I can also play on the wing, but at center I feel most comfortable when I go to the match. I know I’ll get the most touches and play a more defensive role, which I like to do.

The hope is that not only will the change allow Pastrnak’s game to move in the right direction, but it will also increase the production of Zacha, a player who had 57 and 59 points respectively in the two recent seasons. He has just one goal and two assists in 14 games this season. He’s one of several players on the roster the B’s need more of.

“It’s something you think about after a match, but then the next day comes and you have to refocus and go into the next day with a clear mind,” Zacha said. “I think as long as we build a team, you know it’s going to happen one way or another. There are always ups and downs in the season. This is something I have to focus on personally, continue to work and create opportunities for myself and my teammates. That’s all I can do.

Playing with Pastrnak and little Johnson, Zacha will have to do the heavy lifting to get to areas in front of the net.

“Especially on our line, that’s going to be my job there, to be around the net more and be an anchor for shots,” Zacha said. “We saw some videos today that when we’re there for the rebounds, we’re a little late for the rebounds, but I think that’s going to come. If we continue to do it more often, it will pay off. fruit.”

Work in progress

Defenseman Nikita Zadorov has had his ups and downs in his first year with the Bruins and Montgomery said his understanding of the system is a work in progress. He’s a plus-3, the only Bruins defenseman in the black, but he’s also led the league with 10 minors.

“I think overall it’s finding its way into our systems. Sometimes he seems like he understands exactly what we’re trying to accomplish and sometimes he seems like he doesn’t. I wish it was just him. Then it would be easier to solve,” Montgomery said.

Far from special

Special teams have fallen short this season for the Bruins and are responsible for several losses. Their power play, which was 0 for 6 Tuesday in Toronto, ranks 29th in the league at 13.3%. The penalty kill, long a strong point of the team, is ranked 20th with a kill rate of 76.2%. They have allowed three power play goals in four games this year, including the loss in Toronto.

“It’s surprising. Unfortunately, we are not succeeding… I felt that our power play, in addition to the breakthroughs and entries, had in the last five games gotten a lot more A-grade looks, a lot more first-down shots, much more direct. So this will continue to come. We need to get better at outbreaks,” Montgomery said.

“On the penalty kill, we have a lot of guys spending more time on the penalty kill and there’s not as much familiarity as there used to be. And guys need to savor who they are and pay attention to details. I think the plan was really good. I think the execution was not there when outnumbered.

Loose washers

Andrew Peeke, who suffered an upper-body injury in the first period of Tuesday’s game in Toronto, will be out “week to week,” Montgomery said….

The B’s prospect signed 18-year-old defenseman Loke Johansson at his three-year entry level for an average annual salary of $860,000. The 6-foot-3, 214-pound Swede, who was chosen in the sixth round (186th overall) by the B’s, plays with Moncton in the Quebec Maritime Junior Hockey League. He has one goal and four assists.

Originally published: November 7, 2024 at 1:55 p.m. EST