Bruins First Line Analysis

Patrice Bergeron: The top center of the team. He made a good impression in his first year and since then, his play had gradually improved. Bergeron is a good two way center with speed, skills and work ethic. His defensive game is very good and he manages to be a good hard checker without taking bad penalties. Smart in the three zones, there's no doubt that Bergeron will become the dangerous sniper the B's see in him. Bergy is young and the arrival of a veteran like Chara will only accelerate the maturity process. Bergeron makes players better around him. That's enough to tag him as "the franchise" player. Yes, Beantown have a heck of a center, in his lineup, and it's for 5 years. Expect a 40 goals and 55 assists for Bergy this year for a total of 95 points.

Marco Sturm: In San Jose, Sturm was considered as a 20 goal scorer. Last year, Sturm showed speed, skills and a very good wrist shot. His chemistry with Bergeron was undeniable. The two players gelled together very fast and the two of them were a permanent threat on the ice. Bergeron will probably transform Sturm into a potential 30 or even 40 goal scorer. If Sturm can improve his defensive game a bit, he will become a very complete forward who will be in demand next year on the free agent market. If Sturm stay healthy, he can reach 33 goals and 40 assists for 73 points.

Brad Boyes: Obtained in trade from San Jose, Boyes was a prospect until....he played with Bergeron. Boyes is a natural center and he started the last season as the #2 center of the team. Of course, without a real #1 scoring line, Sullivan had to make an experiment and he put Boyes on the first line with Sturm and Bergeron. Boyes is a skilled speedy forward who create space for his teammates. Boyes is a polyvalent player and, in the case of an injury of Savard, there's no doubt that Boyes will fill the void very quickly and make this 2nd line works perfectly. Expect a season of 30 goals and 40 assists for Boyes.

There's no doubt in my mind that the B's first line will be lethal with the new NHL rules. There's a mix of speed, skill and intelligence that could makes them very productive. With a legitmate #2 scoring line, they will be more dangerous then ever.