Taylor Hall, a pending return and a possibly ‘dominant’ Bruins third line

BRIGHTON, Mass. — Taylor Hall is doubtful for Thursday’s game against the Maple Leafs, according to coach Jim Montgomery. But with each day, Hall, who has missed the last 18 games because of a lower-body injury, will become more likely to play before Game 1 of the playoffs. It might be Saturday against the Devils, Hall’s former team, if not Thursday.

Case in point: Hall was well enough to practice on Wednesday at Warrior Ice Arena in a gold jersey for the first time. Before, the left wing had to pull on a crimson non-contact jersey to signal to his teammates to keep their distance.

“It feels great to be out with the guys, to practice with them and be in the meetings,” Hall said. “When they’re out on the road, it’s pretty lonely around here. It’s fun to be back around the atmosphere.”

Hall is close enough that Montgomery used him as the left wing on the No. 3 line with Charlie Coyle and Tyler Bertuzzi during practice. It is a trio Montgomery has had in mind for a while.

Hall (16 goals and 20 assists in 58 games) has few peers when it comes to straight-line puck rushing. Coyle, dependable for his puck protection, has developed a greater willingness to shoot. Bertuzzi is a disher. But when it’s his turn to shoot from the in-tight areas he likes to occupy, the ex-Red Wing does not hold back.

The sum of the three could overwhelm opposing No. 3 pairings if they pursue a shoot-first mindset.

Prax lines:

Marchand-Bergeron-DeBrusk
Zacha-Krejci-Pastrnak
Hall-Coyle-Bertuzzi
Frederic/Lauko-Nosek-Hathaway
Foligno (non-contact)

Grzelcyk-McAvoy
Lindholm-Carlo
Orlov-Clifton
Greer-Zboril

Ullmark
Swayman

— Fluto Shinzawa (@FlutoShinzawa) April 5, 2023

“I imagine it’s going to be good,” Montgomery said of the line. “Everyone has good hockey sense. Everyone’s going to have to be a little more shot-first. There’s no true shot-first player on the line. But if they can wear people down below the tops of the circles … And with Hall being able to make plays off the rush, because he can beat people not only one-on-one but blow around people wide. They’ve just all got to be shot-ready. That’s the only thing that would prevent them from being a fairly dominant line.”

Had Hall limped off after the March 3 deadline, Bertuzzi would have, in all likelihood, been wearing colors other than Black and Gold. Instead, the Bruins got lucky, if any injury situation can be classified as such, that Hall got hurt on Feb. 25. His departure, followed by Nick Foligno’s two games later, gave general manager Don Sweeney a week before the trade deadline to make his move with Detroit. 

Like just about everything else this season, Hall’s injury has worked out for the Bruins. Not only should Hall and Foligno be ready for the playoffs, their injuries allowed Bertuzzi to join the fun. 

“We’re very lucky with the depth we have,” Montgomery said. “We’re also very lucky that it looks like Hall’s going to be a real option for us. We’re also hoping that Foligno and (Derek) Forbort are going to be. All of our options will be at our disposal come playoff time.”

At first, neither Hall nor the Bruins knew how much time he’d miss. With further evaluation, Hall’s initial worries lessened. It could be that Hall will join the company of Matt Grzelcyk, Brad Marchand and Charlie McAvoy — players who returned earlier than first expected.

“I wasn’t as concerned as some other people might have been,” Hall said. “I always had a lot of optimism. I know my body pretty well. I was optimistic I’d get back on skates and feel pretty good. That’s been the case. Just taking it day by day and we’ve stuck with a really solid plan. We have a great medical staff here. It’s been really good. I’m really happy with where I’m at.”

Other teams might have been troubled had their third- and fourth-line left wings tumbled out of the lineup at the same time. The Bruins’ depth, reinforced by Bertuzzi’s introduction, eliminated that worry. The Bruins are 13-4-0 in the last 17 games that Hall and Foligno have missed. Only the 13-2-1 Oilers have more points during this segment.

“It’s been very impressive,” Hall said. “It seems like a different lineup every night. There’s not a lot of consistency with the lines. But we’ve been able to play well. Goaltending’s been amazing like it has been all year. (Dmitry) Orlov and (Garnet) Hathaway have fit in super well along with Bertuzzi. It’s been fun to watch. It’s been very entertaining watching the games. To see our group come together after the deadline has been awesome.”

A Hall-Coyle-Bertuzzi unit could be a No. 2 line elsewhere. That they’re a third line is more proof of the roster’s depth. It is the Bruins’ biggest strength.

“He sees the ice really well,” Hall said of Bertuzzi. “I didn’t quite know the type of player he was before he got here. He makes plays. He keeps plays alive all over the ice. If that’s who I’m playing with whenever I’m back, that’s a really good guy to inject on that line.”

(Photo of Taylor Hall: Maddie Meyer / Getty Images)