Bruins blue line must shoulder more responsibility offensively

The Boston Bruins have made huge strides offensively since Joe Sacco ascended to interim head coach after the team fired Jim Montgomery on Nov. 19.

It's only been six games, but the Bruins have improved in most offensive metrics after making the coaching change.

They have transitioned from a shot quality team to more of a shot quantity group. For example, the B's have hit the 30-shot threshold four times in six games under Sacco. They tallied 30-plus shots just six times in 20 games under Montgomery.

For the Bruins to continue generating a higher number of shots, scoring chances and goals, the blue line has to be more aggressive and contribute more to this effort.

Charlie McAvoy played his part during Sunday's 6-3 win over the Montreal Canadiens in the Centennial Game. The superstar defenseman scored two goals on four shots, including a shorthanded tally.

It was just the second time all season that the Bruins got multiple goals from defensemen. The previous instance was against the Florida Panthers on Oct. 14 when Brandon Carlo and Mason Lohrei found the back of the net.

'It certainly makes a big difference for our group," Sacco told reporters postgame when asked about McAvoy's offense. "I thought he did it the right way tonight. He was following up the play, he was moving his feet, he was skating in the right direction all the time. When he plays like that, we become a hard team to play against.

"He kept the game in front of him, which I think was the most important thing. Everything was in front of him, nobody was behind him. He had a huge impact today. When he plays like that, he's a difference-maker."

McAvoy played great Sunday, but the rest of the blue line didn't rise to his level. He was the only B's defenseman who tallied more than one shot against the Canadiens. Mason Lohrei, Jordan Oesterle and Andrew Peeke were all held without a shot. And not a single Bruins defenseman tallied a shot on net during four minutes of power-play time versus Montreal.

McAvoy leads all Bruins defensemen with 10 points (five goals, five assists) in 26 games. He's the only Bruins blueliner who's reached 10 points this season, although Hampus Lindholm -- seven points in 17 games -- almost certainly would be over 10 points right now had he not suffered a lower body injury last month. Lindholm has not played since Nov. 12 and is "still out weeks", per Sacco.

The Bruins are one of 12 teams that doesn't have multiple defensemen with double-digit points entering Monday. Boston also is one of only three teams with zero defensemen having tallied more than 10 points.

The Bruins' power play has been a major weakness all season. It has scored at an 11.7 percent rate, which ranks dead last in the league. The lack of production from defensemen is a huge reason for this unit's struggles.

McAvoy is the only B's defenseman with a power-play goal. Lohrei (three), McAvoy (one) and Lindholm (one) are the only Bruins defensemen with power-play assists. One goal and five assists from defensemen on the power play through 26 games is underwhelming, to say the least.

McAvoy has to lead the charge offensively for the Bruins blue line, especially while Lindholm is sidelined. The 26-year-old veteran has tallied 0.97 points per 60 minutes (all situations) this season. He's never been below 1.4 in a full campaign, and he posted 1.53 points per 60 minutes last season. Two years ago, he was at 2.09 points per 60 minutes.

McAvoy has the shot, stick-handling ability, skating talent and offensive IQ to post 50-plus points on an annual basis. He has reached the 50-point mark twice before in his career (2021-22 and 2022-23), but he is currently on pace for just 32 points this season.

Lohrei is another player with an exciting offensive skill set and the playmaking/mobility to ignite the transition up ice. The 23-year-old defenseman has played 1:39 per game on the power play this season. Giving him two-plus minutes of time per game with the man advantage could help the struggling power play.

The Bruins have had a goal scored by a defenseman in just nine of 26 games, but they're 6-3-0 in those matchups. This roster lacks high-end talent up front. David Pastrnak is the only elite-level forward in the mix. The Bruins cannot rely solely on their forwards to shoulder a lot of the scoring responsibility most games.

The blue line has to be more involved, push the pace and fire as many shots on net as possible.