Taylor Hall Will Start On Bruins’ Top Line Against Lightning

After snapping a 16-game goalless drought by scoring in the 4-2 win for the Boston Bruins over the Montreal Canadiens on Tuesday night, Bruins winger Taylor Hall has been promoted to the team’s top line.

With Boston Bruins winger Jake DeBrusk (hand, lower-body injury), out of the lineup since Jan. 2, Hall has been moved up to the top line in-game at times, but this will be the first game this season that he will start the game riding shotgun with Patrice Bergeron and Brad Marchand.

His powerplay goal at 14:12 of the second period on Tuesday in Montreal came at a great time not just for him but for the Bruins who had just fallen behind 1-0 in the middle frame.

Taylor Hall snaps his 16-game goalless drought.

1-1 game. pic.twitter.com/9I5Vqot8zV

— Conor Ryan (@ConorRyan_93) January 25, 2023

During his 16-game scoreless stretch, Hall never sulked or let any other areas of his game slip. On of the knocks on Hall in the past is that he was only focused on scoring and individual accolades. However, since he, along with forward Curtis Lazar, were acquired by the Boston Bruins (in exchange for Anders Bjork and a 2021 second round draft pick), from the Buffalo Sabres at the 2021 NHL Trade Deadline, Taylor Hall has bought into the team and two-way hockey. Whether it was for Bruce Cassidy through the end of the 2021-22 season or Jim Montgomery this season, Hall has continually sacrificed for the better of the team.

“He’s doing so many little things to help us win and that’s what’s been so impressive,” Boston Bruins head coach Jim Montgomery said of Hall recently. “He hasn’t felt sorry for himself not scoring or anything like that. He’s working hard and doing everything but score.”

Taylor Hall just went 16 games without scoring a goal and I honestly didn't see one negative tweet or comment about him during those 16 games. That's a credit to him not letting the rest of his game slip, and #NHLBruins being so good. @BOSHockeyNow

— MurphysLaw74 (@MurphysLaw74) January 25, 2023

With his goal on Tuesday, Hall now has 14 goals to go with 17 assists in 47 games this season. Hall is six goals shy of the 20 he scored in 81 games in his first full season with the Boston Bruins last season.

Per Matt Porter of the Boston Globe, here’s what the rest of the lineup should look like for the Bruins against the Lightning in Tampa Bay on Thursday night.

Bruins projected lineup in Tampa:

Marchand-Bergeron-Hall
Zacha-Krejci-Pastrnak
Frederic-Coyle-Smith
Foligno-Koppanen-Greer

Grzelcyk-McAvoy
Lindholm-Carlo
Forbort-Clifton

Ullmark
Swayman

— matt porter (@mattyports) January 26, 2023