It's a very simple solution

In Julien switch, Lucic is dropped to third line

By Fluto Shinzawa, Globe Staff  |  December 30, 2008

CANONSBURG, Pa. - In retrospect, Milan Lucic thought it was overconfidence. Or not getting the right bounces off his stick. Or getting away from his smackdown style and trying to play a skill game.

It most likely was a combination of those factors that led to Lucic going without a single shot on goal over the last two games (4-2 win over Atlanta, 2-1 victory against Carolina) and looking, along with linemates Marc Savard and Phil Kessel, a beat out of sync.

And that's why yesterday, during the Bruins' off-day practice at Iceoplex at Southpointe, Lucic found himself wearing the gold jersey of the third line, having switched places with P.J. Axelsson.

"Part of it is that we've been trying to do too much," said Lucic after the fast-paced, 75-minute session. "I think that's hurt us more than helped us. I think we just have to get back to focusing on the little things."

Prior to Saturday's match against Carolina, Lucic had recorded a point in eight straight games. Last Tuesday, he scored the winning goal in Boston's 2-0 masterpiece over New Jersey.

But in the last two games, Lucic hasn't been as effective in the offensive zone. On Sunday against Atlanta, Lucic, the NHL's hits leader, landed only one check. He played only 13:14 against the Thrashers and was taken off the No. 2 power-play unit, replaced by Blake Wheeler.

Yesterday's message: simplify.

"I think that applies to me the most," Lucic said. "When I'm playing in straight lines, I'm just dumping and not trying to complicate things. I'm not looking for the cute pass. Just the right pass. I think that's what's made me successful."

In explaining the switch, coach Claude Julien noted that it wasn't just Lucic who hasn't been playing up to the staff's standards. Julien said the third line of Axelsson, Stephane Yelle, and Chuck Kobasew also had not fulfilled expectations.

"I guess it's just preventing things from getting stale," said Julien. "Guys get comfortable in situations. Right now, those two lines have not been up to snuff in our regards. We just thought that maybe a little bit of a change there might give both lines a little bit of a spark."

The plan is for Lucic to skate with Yelle and Kobasew, two players also eager to bang bodies, and find his touch again. Lucic has been through this before this year. After a below-average training camp, he played on the fourth line with Yelle and Shawn Thornton in the season opener. Gradually, Lucic gained his confidence and worked his way up the lineup, eventually finding his place on the top line.

"It's a clich??, but sometimes you have to go back a few steps before you go forward," said Lucic. "In training camp and preseason, I had to step back and focus on the simple things and little things. That's what I've got to do right now. I think the best thing to do is control what I can control, which is work ethic and those types of things."

Patrice Bergeron, felled by a concussion Dec. 20, continues to experience headaches while he recovers in Boston. "His headaches are always better as we move on. But they're still there," Julien said. "That's the reality of it. He is feeling better, and certainly at a better rate than the first time it happened. It's not even comparable. But the headaches are still there. They're minimizing every day and hopefully, sooner or later, they'll disappear." After his Grade 3 concussion, Bergeron experienced nausea, fatigue, and sensitivity to light as well as headaches. His timetable to start physical activity is uncertain.

On Sunday, for the first time since his promotion from Providence Dec. 20, Martin St. Pierre was given time on the power play, serving as the lefthanded net-front/goal-line guy in place of Axelsson on the No. 1 unit. It's a position that the pass-first center isn't used to playing. "Playmakers are either down low or half-wall," St. Pierre said. "Obviously Savvy [Savard] is known for his half-wall play, so I thought I'd try down low. It's just a matter of getting used to the players, their passes, and their tendencies. But I felt good. I know I can definitely play out there." Julien is still considering his options on both units. But St. Pierre is a more offensive-minded player than Axelsson who can dish from down low. If St. Pierre can gain net-front position, he can use his 63-inch stick for deflections. "We're trying different things," Julien said. "That left shot is part of some of the plays that we utilize."

Andrew Ference, who Friday hit the ice for the first time since undergoing surgery on his fractured tibia, has incorporated starts into his skating. Ference's rehab is going well and the Bruins consider him ahead of schedule, meaning he could return sometime early next month. Ference has yet to include hard stops in his skating . . . Aaron Ward was paired with regular partner Zdeno Chara in practice yesterday, which would reunite Boston's top shutdown duo.

Fluto Shinzawa can be reached at fshinzawa@globe.com.