It has, for the most part, been a year to forget for the Bruins’ Charlie Coyle.

In the first year of a six-year extension worth over $31 million, Coyle has chipped in with just six goals and 16 points through 48 games this year. Over a normal 82-game season, that’s a mild 27-point pace. And Coyle’s goal Thursday, which held as the game-winning tally in a 5-2 final over the Sabres, was his first time finding the back of the net in a simply staggering 29 games.

It was without question the worst slump of Coyle’s career to date — Coyle’s previous career-worst goal drought came close, with a 24-game goal drought in 2014-15 — but it didn’t come with any sort of pressure on the Weymouth, Mass. native.

“No,” Coyle quickly said when asked if the drought was weighing on him. “I mean, it’s not about me and scoring goals. It’s about the team winning. Yeah, did I realize I hadn’t scored in a little bit? Yeah, but you just got to make sure you play your game. I don’t go into every game saying, ‘Hey, I gotta score, gotta score.’ It’s just about me bringing what I am capable of bringing what I need for the team to play well. And they need a lot more than scoring goals.

“Is scoring goals great? Yeah, it is, and I want to do more of it. But it’s not something that was weighing on me because then that’s about me. And it’s not just about me. It’s about the team.”

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  Honestly, all we were missing here was the Bill Belichick 'T-E-A-M' line.
  
  But don't take Coyle's "team over stats" mantra as someone who's content with being a mere passenger on this ride.
  
  "I always want to contribute, you want to contribute every game," Coyle acknowledged. "I'm happy to contribute. And it's nice to see that goal help my team win. I'm not going to downplay that. But I'm just gonna keep doing what I set out to do and what I'm capable of and that stuff will happen. Sometimes you're not scoring and you gotta bulldoze your way to the net. That was kind of my mindset on that goal. And I got a lucky stick and it luckily went in. So we'll take and move on."
  
  More bulldozing is exactly what the Bruins want out of Coyle, too, as confirmed by Bruins head coach Bruce Cassidy.
  
  "His type of goal where he took it to the net is something we've been encouraging him to do a lot more of lately," said Cassidy. "Hopefully he builds off that. That's how he scored in New York if you remember back there at the Rangers; he took it inside forehand, kind of backhand, forehand, top shelf in tight. He's a big man. You'll see a lot more of those goals if he's willing to do that.
  
  "Maybe this will give him some confidence and he can get going from there."

Ty Anderson is a writer and columnist for 985TheSportsHub.com. Any opinions expressed do not necessarily reflect those of 98.5 The Sports Hub, Beasley Media Group, or any subsidiaries. Yell at him on Twitter: @_TyAnderson.

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