When things go wrong, it isn't usually the stars that turn a hockey team around. It's the fourth line, the energy guys who play the body more than the puck and rarely show up on the score sheet. Fortunately for the struggling Boston Bruins, their fourth line showed up to play Tuesday against the Florida Panthers, netting a pair of goals and leading the team to a convincing 6-1 win.
The Bruins entered Tuesday night's game against the Panthers hoping to end their worst stretch of the season, having won just one of their last seven games, including a 2-0 shutout loss to the Panthers. The team looked less like a serious Stanley Cup contender and more like the Dave Lewis-era Bruins. Injuries to sniper Michael Ryder, who returned on Tuesday, and Marco Sturm seemed to be taking their toll. Youngsters who had been making significant contributions fell right off the map. Phil Kessel, the team's leading goal scorer, had just one goal in 15 games. Goalie Tim Thomas, who had lost three of his last four starts, attributed the slump to details.
"Little things creep in, and then you add in three or four of the little things and it makes a big deal," Thomas said. "One little thing, you don't notice, you're getting by without it."
For the Bruins, the little things consisted of a lack of effort, physicality and defensive responsibility as Boston strayed from its team system.
The fourth line of Shawn Thornton, Stephane Yelle and rookie Byron Bitz filled in those gaps Tuesday, providing a high-energy boost for a team in need of a turnaround. They were all over the Panthers, fighting for the puck in the corners, driving the net and forechecking aggressively. The fourth line took care of everything on its plate and then some, going above and beyond with a pair of goals. A fourth-round draft choice in 2003, Bitz scored twice. It was a rare and welcome occurrence for Bitz, who played in a similar grinder role at Cornell during his college career.
"I don't think I had [a multiple-point game] in college; it's been since [junior hockey], five years now almost," Bitz said.
Bitz was happy to see the impact of his hard work on the fourth line.
"We did a great job of building as the game went [on] and kept pushing them back," said Bitz, who played a season-high 18 shifts, including a brief stint on the power play. "We were getting to the net very good, and shots were getting through."
Linemate Thornton was also pleased with his line's effort. As befits a good fourth-liner, he is known more for his fisticuffs than his finishing, although he has scored a career-high five goals this season. Tuesday night, he picked up an assist and has set his career-high in points with 10.
"[It's] the old cliché, 'we just try and show up and work hard,' but it's true," Thornton said. "For the most part, it's been working for our line."
Thornton and Yelle are both well-traveled professionals, accustomed to playing a hard-hitting game on the fourth line. Between the two of them, they have acquired three Stanley Cup rings and provide an important source of veteran leadership to a team loaded with young players. Their role is important, but they don't get much credit. A guy going five-hole on a breakaway is a lot more likely to get on ESPN's Top Plays than a battle in the corner for the puck. Even though it's not their role, it's still nice for the whole line to get on the scoresheet -- Yelle racked a pair of assists on Bitz's goals.
"We're pretty fired up on that line, obviously," Thornton said. "Any time we can contribute is a plus for us. It's been a while."
Coach Claude Julien appreciated his players' efforts on the night, especially the typically unheralded ones.
"If you deserve to be here, it doesn't matter whether you're a free agent, first rounder or seventh-round pick, you're going to play here," he said.
