The Boston Bruins’ centennial season is officially complete. While it did not net a Stanley Cup championship and give the Bruins faithful another duck boat parade, it was not a complete failure. The organization got to celebrate 100 years of Bruins hockey and even took a trip down memory lane. Several era nights took place at TD Garden, where fans got to relive the memories of different eras of Bruins hockey.
The Bruins also had another 100-point season and finished second in the Atlantic Division. Now that the season is over, we can reflect on how players performed and give them a grade for the season. Today’s report card will be on Massachusetts native Charlie Coyle.
Coyle Came Into His Own This Season
To begin the 2023-24 season, there were big shoes to fill. You can say that the shoes were so big that not many feet would fit inside. The center position for the Bruins looked very different, as Patrice Bergeron and David Krejci retired from their professional careers. The torch was being passed down, as the next guys in line would need to shoulder that workload. One of those players was Coyle, who also was ready to embrace the role and responsibility. Prior to the season opener, he touched on what those guys brought, but also how ready he was to take on a bigger role.
“It’s hard to replace those two,” Coyle said. “It’s, I guess, me being in the center position; it’s a big responsibility. But it was a big responsibility for all of us. Everyone kind of chipped in and did their part. That’s what we do. That’s why we’re a good team, is our depth and the people who can step up and take on that responsibility when you have guys of their caliber who are out of the lineup. … I just try and do my part and do the best I can. It’s always an opportunity when you are in that position, so you just want to make the most of it.”
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Safe to say, Coyle did more than just embrace the role. He seized it, conquered it and went on to have the best season of his career. For the third season in a row, he played in all 82 games. He was able to shoulder the top two lines and play larger minutes. When the season concluded, his average time on ice jumped up to 18:04, which was the highest in his career. Coyle went on to score a career-high 25 goals and 60 points. It was the coming out party that the Bruins were waiting for and the type of offensive output they were hoping to see. The tools were always there, as he put up 56 points with the Minnesota Wild during the 2016-17 season.
Coyle became a player that head coach Jim Montgomery could lean on. He saw time on the power play, where he notched 11 points, and also saw time on the penalty kill. He has always been a solid defensive center and thrives in that role. Speaking of defense, he finished with 53 takeaways, ranking second among all Bruins skaters. He was once again good in the faceoff circle, finishing above 50% for the second season in a row.
General manager Don Sweeney won the Coyle trade that saw him send a third-round pick and Ryan Donato to the Wild back in 2019. However, given the contract extension he signed in 2019 and now becoming a crucial depth piece, it’s a major victory for the Bruins given how well he’s developed his game. While he had a good regular season, the playoffs painted an entirely different picture.
Playoffs Not in Coyle’s Favor
The questions that anyone had before the regular season became more apparent in the playoffs. It was always, could the Bruins find ways to score goals or could they live without Bergeron and Krejci? While the new duo down the middle exceeded expectations, those questions became a reality during the playoff run.
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Coyle did not have the strongest postseason in comparison to his regular season. Over the course of the two rounds, he scored one goal and had five points in 13 games. Furthermore, he finished eighth among forwards in Corsi for percentage (CF%) with 44.97, and only one player among the forwards finished above 50%. When on the ice at five-on-five, Coyle got heavily outplayed by the opposition. The Bruins were outshot, out-attempted, and had fewer scoring chances. It was a recipe for disaster and certainly aspects that led to their second round exit. Also, one area that plagued them was the faceoff success.
During the regular season, things were good for the Bruins and their ability to win faceoffs. However, in the postseason, things went poorly, especially for Coyle. While he had a 51.6% success rate in the regular season, he went on to have a 47.98% success rate in the playoffs. The Bruins were one of the poorest puck possession teams during the playoffs and got crushed by the Florida Panthers in Round 2. They needed more from him and did not get it. However, he had a tremendous season and is worthy of some praise.
Coyle Stepped Up and Shined Brightly
There will never be another Bergeron and even replacing Krejci is a tough challenge. Coyle rose to the occasion and stepped up his game. It was amazing to see him embrace the role but also conquer it. It was exactly what the Bruins needed for them to have a successful season.
The postseason did not favor Coyle, but that doesn’t take away from the strong season he had. He was a key part of the team this season and will be a huge part of it again during the 2024-25 season.
Grade: A-
