Top Line

Nathan Horton (26-27-53 +29  $4.0M):  One of the trickle down effects of the Kessel trade was that it allowed us to shop our own first round draft pick in the 2010 draft.  That led to trading that pick (15th overall), my least favorite player (Wideman), and a 3rd round pick for Nathan Horton and Gregory Campbell.  Would you do that trade again?  HELL YEAH!  He's like Bergeron, been in the league for 7 years but only 26 years old!!  All together now: "THANK ...YOU ... KESSEL!!"

I don't think Horton has stopped smiling since he put on the black and gold sweater.  It's got to be a good feeling going from an obismal team in the Panthers to one of the most historic franchises in all of sports.  He started the season out strong, scoring 5 goals in the first 6 games.  This looked like it was going to be highway robbery, but in the middle of the season he hit a bit of a drought.  He could go a week or so without showing up on the score sheet.  "Not even a helper, Dome?"  Yeah, not even a helper. 

I can forget all of that because he came on towards the end of the season and had a monster postseason, scoring 8 playoff goals.  Not to mention two of those being Game 7 game winners (Habs in OT and the epic tilt against the Lightning).  It's obvious how well he's liked on this team, as Rome's hit seemed to be the spark and rallying point the Bruins needed to crush those 'Nucks.  What a feeling that has to be to have the greatest player ever, Bobby Orr, waiving your number at the next game! Now that's what's up!

Then Game 7 squirting some Boston Garden water onto the Vancouver ice.  Watching that footage still gets me fired up!  WOOOOO!!!!  Sorry I got a little excited.

With a whole year under his belt, concussion free, and hopefully confidence sky high, I want to see 30+ goals out of him.  We brought him in to score goals and he has one of the craftiest centerman in the league setting him up.  Put the biscuit in the basket, Horton, and you'll hear plenty of WOOOO's!

David Krejci (13-49-62 +23 $3.75M):  Two years ago, Krejci had a coming out party during the Olympics.  Then once Savvy went down with the first concussion, he filled in nicely on the top line.  Not the only reason, but one of the main reasons we couldn't get passed the Flyers that year was because he got hurt (and we end our discussion about that).

This year I had high hopes for him.  It's hard to say that a player that led the team in assists and points during the regular season and then goals and points in the postseason was a disappointment, but I really wanted to see him break 70 points during the season like he did in 2008-2009. 

Like the rest of the team, he stepped up big in the playoffs, scoring almost as many goals in the playoffs as he did the whole season (12-11-23 +8).  It's not a bad thing that he takes his game to a new level come crunch time, but I would like to see him keep that high level of play throughout the regular season as well.

Krejci's play makes it much easier to swallow the loss of Savard.  The top line is still a force to be reckon with and at 25 years old, I don't think we're close to seeing what he can do.  He's a restricted free agent at the end of this season, so I would love to see Mr. Chiarelli approach him early in the season and get a deal done.  I'm confident that will happen, since they didn't spend any money this offseason with an eye to the future.


Milan Lucic (30-32-62 +28 $4.083m):  Mr. Lucic had the best regular season of his career with career highs in goals, assists and points.  When he's on top of his game, he's a lot of fun to watch.  What Bruin's fan doesn't like a mean power forward?  Crushing defensemen, scoring goals, and just pummelling people he doesn't like.

My favorite play of his, besides when he's playing Mr. Potato-head with someones face, is when he A frame's and glides out from behind the net looking for the backdoor cut.  There aren't too many people in the league that can push him off the puck.

Looch is a very emotional player, which most people will take any day.  He just needs to make sure he doesn't do anything too stupid.  We saw a few times this season that he'll just pop a guy in the face because he's angry (not when they're actually squared up to fight).  If he keeps doing that he might find himself getting suspended, so hopefully he can channel his emotion into a positive manner.

It pains me to say that Lucic had an AWFUL playoffs.  Believe me I was doing everything I could.  I wore my Lucic jersey t-shirt under my Lucic 3rd jersey.  I lit candles on my Lucic shrine and when that didn't work I tried incents.  Nothing worked.  Was he injured?  Maybe, but who isn't at that time of year.  I'm just going to chalk it up to a slump and hope it doesn't bleed into this year.


If we keep these guys, we could have a very good top line for a very long time.  Horton is 26, Krejci is 25, and Lucic is 23.  Look for these guys to have another solid year together.