Charlie Coyle liked what he saw on Saturday afternoon in Ottawa - before, during, and after the B's win over the Senators.
When he caught a glimpse of his name in between Trent Frederic and Craig Smith on the lineup board, the centerman was eager to reunite with the two wingers he had success with at times last season. Coyle was even more enthusiastic after a strong showing from the trio in Ottawa that included a goal from Frederic on the game's opening shift.
"Seemed like we clicked right away, we just kinda gelled," said Coyle. "I was pretty excited to see them on my wings and test it out. You get one on the first shift, you feel good. It's a good way to start. It was all the little things that we did leading up to that. Same thing. We just kinda clicked right away again.
"Seemed like we had a number of chances that we should've buried a bunch. It's good when you get those opportunities with those guys. We're just looking to build on that. We could be a very good line, a big line, guys who can protect the puck and own it down there and be responsible, of course, but contribute when we can, too."
With all three players checking in at 6-foot or above - Frederic and Coyle are both 6-foot-3 - Coyle was intrigued by the possibilities of a trio that is focused on playing a heavy, puck-possession type of style.
"It's all about speed these days. But when you have guys who can skate decent and play big and win battles down low and hang on to that puck and wear down the D-men and their lines and play down there, that's huge," said Coyle. "It helps the other lines, too, when they come out and they get tired defenders or you just wear guys down that way. It helps as the game goes on. That's what we need to bring. That was a good start for us."
Cassidy said he believes that Coyle - who was arguably the Bruins' best player on Saturday in Ottawa - can flourish between players like Frederic and Smith, particularly when it comes to being the driver of a line.
"I think sometimes he'll take more responsibility to shoot the puck and to attack the net, it seems like, depending on who he's playing with," said Cassidy. "And we've just basically always encouraged him, like never mind who's on your right or left, just play that game and pull them along and they'll get there. I think that's sometimes maybe what happens. Only he could answer that, but that's what I see at times. He defers.
"That's his personality a little bit. I don't think anybody was happy the way we played on Thursday [against Carolina], so he took it upon himself, obviously, to be more of a leader in that department with Bergy out, so hopefully it continues to be consistent."
