“We just keep surprising you guys that we can play hockey, huh?” Shawn Thornton said of the high approval marks for the Bruins’ fourth line.
That fourth line, depth line, energy line, whatever-you-want-to-call-it line is comprised of Thornton, Byron Bitz and Steve Begin, the newly acquired center who displayed standout energy and versatility that earned him the second star of the game on Saturday.
Using straightaway speed to burst through zones, Begin is quickly becoming noticed.
“If I race someone, maybe I’m not as fast, but I’m just moving all the time so I look fast,” he said with a contagious laugh.
“Well, Thornton says finally there’s someone that can keep up with him,” I reported, remembering Thornton joke around about his “new liney.”
“Oh, yeah, I know it takes a lot to keep up with him,” Begin happily snapped back.
Friends they finally are, after being on the opposite sides of the rivalry the past few seasons.
Yes, Begin is from Quebec. Yes, he played in Montreal. Yes, he still goes back to his house and gathers the family mail when the Bruins play in Montreal. But just how hard he works is all Boston.
“I’m on the right side of the rivalry now,” Begin said when he first arrived.
It is the very basic requirements of acceptance — work hard, play hard, and the city will laud you for your effort and appreciate you for your character.
“There’s something about being blue-collar,” Bitz said, explaining why people have taken to their line and what they brought to the pace of the game on Saturday. “They like it.”
What’s not to like about guys who will do the last line of work? Someone has to do it. And when they do, it leads to depth.
Depth is something the Bruins already had last season, but their “blue-collar” line now also brings a punch to the game. Though neither Thornton nor Bitz say their game necessarily changes with a different center, they agree that Begin’s speed allows them to use their own speed in a more effective way. And while Begin showed playmaking skills on Saturday — adding a dash of flair to an otherwise straightforward line — he also showed multiple times in preseason that he is unafraid to tangle and stand up for his teammates.
His line exudes everything Boston loves — tough, energetic, hard workers with a don’t-take-us-lightly attitude.
“It’s fun,” added Bitz with a smile, thinking about the speed, tenacity and opportunity generated by their line. “It’s really fun.”
