BOSTON — It was an eighth straight win for the Boston Bruins in Game 1 of the Stanley Cup Final Monday night, and it was another game where the fourth line contributed heavily.
The Bruins’ “Perfection Line” of Brad Marchand, Patrice Bergeron and David Pastrnak received deserved attention entering the series against the St. Louis Blues, but Boston is three wins away from another title because of their depth. From that depth has come the production from Sean Kuraly, Joakim Nordstrom, who make up two-thirds of the fourth line in the absence of injured Chris Wagner, who’s been replaced by Noel Acciari.
“It’s unbelievable,” said forward Marcus Johansson after Game 1. “And I think everyone says this, but one of the strengths of this team is that we have four lines that can produce at any given time and on any given night. What a better time to do it than tonight. It’s not just that they scored the goals, they led the group to taking the game over and playing more physical, and that’s what led us to winning this game.”
Monday night it was Kuraly, who was acquired in the Martin Jones trade in 2015, who broke the 2-2 tie 5:21 into the third period to give the Bruins the lead for the first time. Kuraly also had the primary assist on Connor Clifton’s tying goal 1:16 after Vladimir Tarasenko gave the Blues a 2-0 lead early in the second period.
The goal was another big moment for the 26-year-old Kuraly, who has a knack for this kind of stuff. According to the NHL, nine of his 21 career goals have either tied the game (3) or ended up as the winner.
The production of the fourth line brings back memories of 2011 and the famed “Merlot Line” of Shawn Thornton, Daniel Paille and Gregory Campbell. Named after the color of their practice jerseys, the trio combined for 29 goals and 62 points during the regular season and another four goals and 11 points during their run to the Cup that spring.
“That line was huge for us the one year and even in playoffs came in and scored some big goals and [provided us] some momentum that we needed at times during games,” said Patrice Bergeron. “It’s a fair comparison when you look at Sean and his line, what they’ve been able to do for us night in, night out, and stepping up in big moments. They’ve been doing it since the start of the year and they just keep showing up for us.”
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The trio, which had included Wagner before he broke his hand in the Eastern Conference Final, has produced regularly, with Kuraly leading the way with three goals and seven points. The line can do it all. They skate well, forecheck well, move the puck well, and their teammates continually say they wouldn’t be playing at this point of the season without them.
“I wouldn’t want to play against that line nor any other line on our team,” said Clifton.
The fourth line has been shining all postseason and now that that’s continuing as the spotlight gets brighter and brighter, their teammates are happy to share in the attention.
“I think a lot of times you overlook those type of players or lines,” said Bruins captain Zdeno Chara, “how big they play, especially during the season, they not necessarily get on the scoresheet, but they do so much for the team besides scoring. It’s great they’re getting recognition and a lot of credit because in the playoffs you have to rely on [those lines].”
Blues-Bruins Game 2 is Wednesday night at 8 p.m. ET from TD Garden on NBCSN and the NBC Sports app.
MORE: Stanley Cup Buzzer: Kuraly, Bruins overwhelm Blues
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Sean Leahy is a writer for Pro Hockey Talk on NBC Sports. Drop him a line at phtblog@nbcsports.com or follow him on Twitter @Sean_Leahy.