It feels like yesterday—or maybe not, given the rocky path—that the Bruins’ fourth line was serving as the identity tape for the coaches. Now, as we settle into the Four Nations break, it’s time to admit this line has completely fallen off the rails.
Former coach split the chemistry up:
In his search for production from the forward lines—and while responding to calls from the Blues’ front office—former head coach Jim Montgomery split up the fourth line of Koepke–Beecher–Kastelic. This not only nullified results on other lines but disrupted the initial chemistry the threesome had.
Kastelic is a bruised warrior:
Mark Kastelic brought productivity early and often, earning an extension with the team. However, injuries—likely more serious than publicly known—have impacted his usual forechecking urgency.
Beecher’s development has been unique:
Showing promising faceoff success and positional awareness in recent years, John Beecher gave fans reason to believe he could produce more this season. Ultimately, we’ve learned his game is limited to what he initially showed, and not much beyond that.
This fourth line is as important as the first line when you’re a team aiming to play winning hockey. The talent of your team is emphasized on the first line, but your identity is emphasized on the fourth.
Flavin Media 
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