BOSTON - Chris Kelly, Daniel Paille and Tyler Seguin have proved to be a winning combination for the Boston Bruins.
"I'm just a little ticked off that I didn't put them together sooner," Boston coach Claude Julien joked Tuesday.
Julien threw the line together in Game 2 of the Stanley Cup final and it has quickly become a thorn in the side of the Chicago Blackhawks.
Kelly scored to pull Boston even before Paille settled it in overtime. Paille scored the winning goal again in the 2-0 victory Monday, while he and Kelly drew penalties that ultimately led to Patrice Bergeron's insurance goal on the power play.
Julien credited their hard work on the Paille goal Monday.
"Great forechecking job forces a turnover. A guy in the open. Once the turnover is there, pass to the slot, good shot. But also staying on top of the puck, we won two battles right after that shot in order to score that goal."
He also pointed to Seguin's maturity.
"What he's realized is that just because you don't score doesn't mean you can't be a good player," said Julien. "He's been a good player because he's competed hard in all areas of the ice."
Asked about the Bruins line, Chicago coach Joel Quenneville said in some games the top lines neutralize one another.
"Those (secondary) lines score meaningful goals and have meaningful stretches where they're the difference-makers in the outcomes of games."
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