The trio of Cole Koepke, Mark Kastelic, and Johnny Beecher was instrumental in the win over Colorado, and Jim Montgomery is entrusting them with quality minutes.
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DENVER — They provided the crunch at crunch time.
The Bruins’ indefatigable fourth line — Cole Koepke, Mark Kastelic, and Johnny Beecher — once again came up huge in
a 5-3 victory over the Avalanche Wednesday night.
The trio was a force all night but particularly when the Bruins were clinging to a late lead like a mountain climber clinging to a ledge when scaling the nearby Rocky Mountains.
With their tightest grip.
The last-gasp moments of a tight NHL game when teams are protecting slim leads is usually when you’ll find fourth liners tattooed to the bench. Those critical minutes are normally reserved for the top skaters.
That’s not the case with these guys.
Coach Jim Montgomery entrusted the ferocious forechecking and physical fourth liners with regular shifts late as the Bruins secured their first road win of the season.
“I think we’ve got to stop calling them the fourth line,” said Montgomery. “I mean, it’s impressive the way they’ve been playing and they’re earning all the ice time they’re getting, and their details, their work ethic, their puck support of one another offensively and defensively is allowing them to have tremendous success.”
All three were plus-3 on the night, with Koepke opening the scoring and Beecher sealing it with an empty-netter.
Koepke, who had 1 goal and 2 points on his NHL résumé when the Bruins signed him to a free agent deal in July, already has 2 goals and 3 assists in five games.
“He’s been a great surprise,” said Montgomery. “I don’t think he’s been that much of a surprise to our pro scouts that recommended him. They spoke highly about him and he’s rewarding those scouts and us with the effort and how he’s playing.”
Being counted on with the game on the line has been a huge confidence boost for Koepke and his linemates.
“It’s a big job and a big responsibility that comes with it, and it’s something we don’t take lightly,” said Koepke, “and to be in that situation, it shows that we’re gaining the trust of the team and the coaching staff and it’s something we’re really proud of and just something we’re going to keep building on.”
“I saw it coming at me,” said Koepke, who landed four shots on net and seven hits on Avalanche skaters. “I saw Peeker coming down with the puck. I just tried to get out front in case he was going to throw it there and I saw him make a heads-up play and kind of looked right at me and made a great play and just deflected it in.”
Beecher wasn’t credited with an assist on Hampus Lindholm’s goal, which boosted the lead to 4-1, but he played a key role in it. Beecher parked his 6-foot-3-inch, 216-pound frame in front of Georgiev, who never saw Lindholm’s rising wrister.
“The whole line’s been amazing for us,” said Lindholm. “They’re the hardest workers out there and they earn everything they get.”
As long as the triumvirate continues to get after it, Montgomery will continue to call its number, regardless of whether he pencils them in as the third or fourth line.
“I’ve always been a coach that you go out and you play the right way and you’re showing effort and execution, you’re going to get rewarded with ice time,” Montgomery said, “and we’ve got to continue to build that throughout the lineup.”
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