It took all of two games for Charlie Coyle to get slotted from his new post in Boston’s top-six unit to his usual perch in the middle of the team’s third line.
Such a lineup shift wasn’t an indictment on Coyle’s own body of work. Rather, it was a resulting domino effect from Matthew Poitras’ strong start in the NHL ranks, with Jim Montgomery and Boston’s top brass eager to see how the 19-year-old would fare next to a proven playmaker in Brad Marchand.
It remains to be seen if Poitras will remain in that spot, especially after a quiet performance against the Sharks on Thursday evening (12:18 TOI, 0 shots on goal).