DENVER — It’s a good bet that Taylor Hall hasn’t skated his final shift with David Krejci and David Pastrnak. The no. 1 pick from 2010 is too good not to see situational ice time with the clever Czechs, his presumed linemates at the start of 2022-23.
For now, though, Hall’s optimal position, both for himself and his employer, is No. 3 left wing, next to Charlie Coyle and Trent Frederic. Two goals and one assist in the Bruins’ 4-0 shutout of the Avalanche on Wednesday is proof of that.
“It’s great,” Hall said of his three-point performance. “You want to contribute every night. It’s fun to see goals go in. And it’s fun to continue to get chemistry as a line. We haven’t been together too, too long. But that was a really good night for us. That was a night where the first period wasn’t great. But we stuck with it. We found our game as a line, which is really not easy to do, especially on the road and with the amount of ice time we had through half the game. That’s a really good thing for us.”
Hall has 15 five-on-five points, second-most on the Bruins after Pastrnak (17). He is averaging 2.78 points per 60 minutes of five-on-five play, which entering play Thursday, ranked 20th in the NHL among forwards with 300 or more five-on-five minutes and seventh among left wings, per Natural Stat Trick.
The difference between Hall and his fellow left wings leaguewide, though, is his role.
Consider that Jason Robertson, Jeff Skinner, Johnny Gaudreau, Matthew Tkachuk and Brady Tkachuk, all in Hall’s points-per-60 neighborhood, are No. 1 left wings. Hall is making his noise on the third line, where he skates fewer shifts and plays with linemates who are not primarily tasked with producing offensive thunderclaps.
The way Coyle is playing, though, the No. 3 center (two assists against the Avalanche) is not exactly just another guy.
“It makes our depth really good,” coach Jim Montgomery said of Coyle’s all-around presence on the third line. “What it does is it creates matchups that are very favorable to us.”
The collaboration between Hall, Coyle and Frederic is improving. In 40:31 of shared five-on-five time, that No. 3 line has helped the Bruins record a 6-1 goal advantage. The Bruins have outshot opponents at a 26-11 clip with three on the ice.
Hall’s emergence as a line-driver has been a factor.
There are few players who can match Hall’s straight-line speed. He doesn’t lose pace when he’s carrying the puck. Good luck catching him in full flight, as the Avalanche learned after the left wing fired a breakaway goal past Alexandar Georgiev.
The line has adapted to Hall’s puck-pushing skill in the neutral zone. It has given them momentum heading into the offensive zone and forced opponents to backtrack.
Once they’ve gained a foothold in the scoring end, Hall has learned to hand the puck off to Coyle. The workhorse center excels at puck possession in the offensive zone, where he can use his down-low strength to keep his opposition in chase mode, like he did to poor Ben Meyers on Wednesday.
Coyle’s ability to hold the puck has given Hall and Frederic freedom to find optimal spaces to extend the cycle. Frederic’s goal was a textbook example.
“Life’s easy,” Frederic said of playing off Coyle’s possession game. “My last goal, I just got to hang out. Put it on the short tee and just hit it.”
None of this would have been possible without Hall’s acceptance of his duties. Perhaps earlier in his career, when he was a big-timer in Edmonton or New Jersey, it would have been a struggle for Hall to acknowledge.
But the 31-year-old has reached a point where team performance is more important than individual results. Most recently, Hall understood that Krejci and Pastrnak are at their best when they’re controlling the puck.
In comparison, Hall can be in charge more often on the third line. With Frederic tasked to bang bodies and defer to his veteran linemates, Hall and Coyle are free to handle the puck as much as they want.
“I want to be out there as much as I can, and I want to have the puck as much as I can,” Hall said with a laugh. “With Krech and Pasta, there’s only one puck out there at times. It can be hard to get in the game and get as many touches as you want. Where the line I’m on now, I get to carry it up the ice a little more. I get some more zone time and possession time. Freddy’s fine being in the slot, being an option in front of the net. Coyler’s obviously a guy that can rag guys down low. I think there’s a good mix there. I’m enjoying it.”
(Photo: Ron Chenoy / USA Today)
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