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Two game losing streaks are not something that the Boston Bruins are used to dealing with lately. But after dropping back-to-back games against Carolina (who inexplicably swept the season series from Boston) and Pittsburgh in large part because they managed to score just one goal combined in the two games, Claude Julien tried a new approach this past Sunday.

Julien moved top-line center David Krejci down to play alongside Jordan Caron and Benoit Puliot, while Chris Kelly got a bump up to the top line between wingers Milan Lucic and Rich Peverley (Nathan Horton is still out since taking a shot to the head against Philly on Jan 22). Although the move made some waves among Bruins fans who saw it as a “message” or a “demotion” for Krejci, Julien downplayed any sort of significance. They say it was simply a tactic to give the team a new look and inject some life into what had been a stagnant line combo. And of course, it’s hard to argue with the methodology of that statement since the team broke out of its scoring slump with a 4-1 win over the Caps.

“I don't think there's really any message other than we expect our players to come out and be the best they can every night,” he said. … “They did the job and I thought David was good himself. It's just about getting everybody going again and sometimes those changes are not bad things.”

The strategy of changing up lines before or even during games to get some new energy on the ice is hardly a new tactic, as its one that coaches around the league employ with regularity. It’s something that shouldn’t be done too often because it runs the risk of stifling any budding chemistry, but unless there is a specific combination that has a significant history of success, players should expect to be rotated around the lineup every now and then. And while the Bruins have that history with the Horton-Krejci-Lucic line, the fact that Horton wasn’t even there to begin with makes it even less of a tumultuous move.