PLYMOUTH–If the turnout over the last three days at the Boston Bruins Fan Fest is any indication, the anticipation is palpable for the team’s upcoming season.
On Sunday, the three-day party culminated as it rolled into Plymouth’s Memorial Hall, where Bruins fans of all ages showed their support for a team that has made the playoffs in each of the last eight seasons.
But as a local kid, Charlie Coyle understands as well as anyone that simply making the playoffs doesn’t suffice in a town where championships aren’t desired but expected.
After repeated early exits the last few years, Coyle says it’s time for the Bruins to prove themselves this season.
“Only one team wins every year, and that’s tough,” said Coyle. “Yes, you lose, but you can learn from that stuff, and it’s about what you take with you for that next season and the things you can build on, and there’s a lot that we can. We saw a lot of guys step up last year, but everyone, including myself and even the older guys in the locker room, we’re looking to take some steps. I like the team and how we’re shaping up on paper, but it’s up to us to prove ourselves.”
If Coyle’s words aren’t enough of a sign of what the expectations are for the Bruins, then the moves made by the front office this summer surely are.
Boston spent a franchise-record $92 million in free agency, putting an emphasis on adding size and physicality at every level of the lineup with the intent of making the team more equipped to compete in the postseason.
“I love the signings,” Coyle said. “All of those guys add a little bit of grit, and you can never have enough of that on the team. It’s a great thing to have guys who work hard and play the game well. So, I think it’s huge. It’s going to add to our identity a little bit. It’s something we needed.”
Perhaps the most notable of the additions is forward Elias Lindholm. Entering his first season in Boston, Lindholm is projected to center the first line and form a pairing with Coyle down the middle of the ice for the Bruins, reminiscent of the one between Patrice Bergeron and David Krejci, which is equally capable across all three zones.
However, the one spot in the lineup left uncertain entering training camp next month is the one currently on Coyle’s right side. Aside from David Pastrnak, Boston doesn’t have a clear-cut source of offense.
While the organization is hoping for youngsters like Matthew Poitras and Fabian Lysell to fill that void, Coyle, who set a career-high with 60 points and 25 goals last year, says the burden falls on him room just as much.
“However it shapes up, whatever the coach thinks, I’m going to play to the best of my ability,” said Coyle. “Whether it’s with [Brad Marchand] or whoever else is there, we’re going to do the best we can. That’s all you can ask for, and that’s what you need to do.”
Entering his sixth full season with the Bruins this year, Coyle is fully ingrained as part of the team’s core leadership, making a large portion of the outcome of this season his responsibility.
“I want more responsibility on my shoulders. That’s why you play,” said Coyle. “I want to be a guy who plays in all sorts of roles and is important to the team. We all do, and everyone is.”
Whatever that outcome may be, it will prove who the Bruins truly are.
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