Bruins fall into line and shine

Julien scores with Lucic-Axelsson shift

WILMINGTON - The direction is straight ahead, the pace is full tilt.

The words that describe the Bruins' season also define the style of their new line of Stephane Yelle, Chuck Kobasew, and Milan Lucic. In Boston's 4-2 victory over the skilled and speedy Pittsburgh Penguins Thursday night, Lucic connected for the winning goal, Yelle picked up two assists, and Kobasew got one.

Two games ago, coach Claude Julien moved Lucic, a 20-year-old slugger/scorer, from a line with the skilled Marc Savard and Phil Kessel, to one with grinding veterans Yelle and Kobasew, while putting defensive forward P.J. Axelsson with Savard and Kessel. The combinations are nominally the team's No. 1 (Savard's) and No. 3 (Yelle's) lines, but the numbers that really count are the points the combinations are collecting. Axelsson and Savard each had a goal and an assist Thursday, giving Axelsson 1-3 -4 in two games, and Savard 2-3 -5, while Lucic broke a three-game point drought with his winner.

"So far both guys [Lucic and Axelsson] have brought something different to those lines that have helped them pick up the pace," said Julien.

With 29 victories, including the last 10 in a row, the Bruins have the most points (62) in the NHL, and it might seem like a funny time to play mix and match with personnel. But Julien is busier than ever. It's good to make winning routine, as the Bruins have, but it's dangerous to think it's just a routine.

When Julien saw complacency, or perhaps a little tedium, he picked apart his lines without hesitation.

Yelle, 34, has been a steady, gritty presence since joining the Bruins. He is in his 13th NHL season, and owns a pair of Stanley Cup rings from his years with the Colorado Avalanche, so Julien expected consistency. But the loss of Patrice Bergeron (concussion) and Marco Sturm (neck, knee) and the recent line maneuvers have shaken Yelle loose for more ice time. On Thursday, Yelle played 16 minutes 33 seconds, his second highest total this season.

With the Bruins leading, 2-1, in the second period, Kobasew launched an attack down the left wing, flinging a pass across to Yelle, who was crashing the net. The puck bounced off Yelle, and Lucic, skating in behind Yelle, collected his 11th goal with a wrist shot. Then, with the Bruins clutching a 3-2 lead at the end of the third, Yelle (who won 67 percent of his faceoffs) won a defensive-zone draw, enabling Savard to clinch the result with an empty-net goal.

Kobasew, who has been on a line with Yelle much of this season, played with Yelle in Calgary, too, and they share a crunching, straightforward approach to the game.

"There's no surprises with him," said Kobasew. "He keeps things simple, he's very experienced, and he does all the little things well."

It's a style Lucic wears well, too.

"That's the way our line has to play," Kobasew said. "Looch is at his best when he's going north-south and using his body and getting in more on the forecheck."

Yelle, who signed with the Bruins as a free agent Sept. 3, said Kobasew and Andrew Ference, another ex-Flames teammate, helped make his adjustment to Boston smooth.

"With more and more guys being moved more frequently, it's a different mix of guys almost every year, so there's an adjustment period as you get to know guys," Yelle said. "Looch is good; he's a young player who competes hard. He keeps the game pretty simple and that fits with my game. The last couple of games, I feel like we've played well, and hopefully we can continue learning about each other and get better."

Julien, too, thinks the new combo is a satisfying mix.

"When you look at those three, they're a pretty good fit because all three of them work hard," Julien said. "They're known for their work ethic. They grind it out and they like to grind it out. I think [Thursday] night was probably good proof of that - they had some good scoring chances just from outworking the opposition, going to the net, shooting, crashing the net, and jumping on those loose pucks.

"They had some pretty good chances [Tuesday] in Pittsburgh, too, the first time I put them together. Not only that, but all three of them like to finish their checks. They're not an easy line to play against, so I like that combination - so far."

Ference, who is nearing a return from a broken right tibia suffered Nov. 13, went through the full practice yesterday at Ristuccia Arena, as did forward Petteri Nokelainen, who has missed nine games with a shoulder injury. Julien said the status of both remained day to day, but added they were likely doubtful for today's home matinee against Buffalo.

Barbara Matson can be reached at matson@globe.com.