he Boston Bruins are heading out of town for their first extended road trip against three Western Conference opponents beginning with the Colorado Avalanche on Wednesday night. Even with a 2-2-0 record, the Black and Gold has seen Johnny Beecher, Mark Kastelic and Cole Koepke emerge as the most consistent line early in the season.
Beecher became a household name for the Bruins last season when he became a sparkplug for Boston at times after earning an Opening Night roster for the 2023-24 campaign. Kastelic became an instant fan favorite with physical play and dropping the gloves during the preseason. Koepke, on the other hand, has quietly come on the radar through the first four games of the season. Judd Sirott discussed Koepke’s emergence as an everyday player for the Bruins on the latest episode of NESN’s “The Hockey Hub” podcast.
“I don’t think anybody necessarily had Cole Koepke pencilled in here in the first four games in playing in all four of those games,” Sirott said. “But that’s certainly been the case. He can skate. He’s not the biggest guy; he’s not small, either. But he’s able to win some battles. He’s put himself in some good spots and that’s what allows him to stay in the lineup on a consistent basis.” “We didn’t really talk a whole lot about Cole Koepke in particular during training camp,” Sirott said.
In his four games for the Bruins, Koepke has four points (one goal, three assists). After four games this season, he and his linemates have combined for 13 points and 12 shots on goal. Sirott went on to say that Koepke is adjusting to life in Boston because he was a member of the starting lineup at the University of Minnesota Duluth, where they finished the 2018–19 NCAA season with a national championship.
Sirott stated, “He does have a chance to carve out a niche.” “.. You enter the National Hockey League and aim to make it to the top six, but in order to do so, you must first excel in the bottom six. This still calls for a certain amount of responsibility, which is how he has been playing thus far.
Sirott and Adam Pellerin discuss whether or not Montgomery should split up the top line of Pavel Zacha, Elias Lindholm, and David Pastrnak. You can watch the entire part on the Bruins’ fourth line on YouTube and Spotify.
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