BOSTON — Necessity, as they say, is the mother of invention. And that, more than anything else, is why Charlie Coyle played on David Krejci’s right wing in the Bruins’ matchup against the Flyers on Sunday night.

But Coach Bruce Cassidy has been saying since training camp that he was going to take a look at Coyle up on the right side with Krejci, and with his left wing Jake DeBrusk plus righties David Backes, Brett Ritchie and Karson Kuhlman all on the shelf, now is as good a time as any to take a look at it. Danton Heinen, who has been the latest player to get a tryout on Krejci’s right and has done fairly well, was moved over to his natural side on the left to take DeBrusk’s place.

The results were mixed. Nobody, and we mean nobody, was any good in the first two periods and, accordingly, Cassidy didn’t want to make much of an assessment of the group. On the other hand, the line factored in the Bruins getting a point in 3-2 shootout loss to the Flyers. Heinen got the Bruins on the board at 5:59 of the third after Coyle flipped it at the net. The line also forced a Flyer icing that allowed the first line to get back on the ice and for Brad Marchand to score the equalizer. But Coyle himself said there’s plenty of room for improvement.

“I think we want to push for more,” said Coyle, whose two shot attempts were wide of the mark. “We chipped in that once, but I think we can still find some better opportunities through our hard work and support, just talking. I think the more you play with someone, that helps. But when you’re thrown together quick, you want to find it quick, so that’s our goal.”

This would not be the Bruins’ Plan A. The depth that Coyle brings them as third line center is a big reason why they went to the Stanley Cup Final last season. But there’s also a need for a little more oomph on the second line. When DeBrusk is healthy, Heinen can and has helped on the right side, but it’s not yet clear if that will be enough.

So with the Bruins wealth at center – Par Lindholm returned to the lineup – Cassidy was using this time as an opportunity to see what Coyle can bring higher in the lineup.

While Coyle played plenty of wing in Minnesota, it will take a mentality adjustment for him to succeed there, said Cassidy. Coyle, much like Krejci, likes to hang on to the puck until something opens up and with his size, he’s very good at it. But you can only have so many of those guys on one line.

“Maybe Charlie will be a little more shot-oriented now that he’s got a centerman that likes to dish,” said Cassidy. “Somebody on that line has got to shoot. That’s one thing Jake always brings. He’s got a shot mentality. He can make plays, but he’s a shooter. Danton is kind of 50-50. So as wingers, they both (Coyle and Heinen) have to understand that you’ve got to shoot the puck on that line when the opportunity presents itself. It doesn’t mean they can’t make plays. And (Coyle) can get to the net, get inside a little more. As a center you’re covering more ice, you’re probably high (in the zone) a little more often, you’re responsible, especially since he’s been playing with younger wingers. So now I’d like to see him around the net a little more and the centerman can take care of those other duties.”

Coyle meanwhile, fully admits that taking a shoot-first mentality is not as simple for him as flipping a switch, even though he’s toggled back and forth between center and wing during his career.

“I’ve never been the shoot-first kind of a guy, which I think I need to do more of … I know I need to do more of,” said Coyle. “Getting put in that position can only help and get my mindset right about doing that. That’s the position I’m in and that’s what I’ve got to do.”

The move of Coyle to his wing also gives Krejci the kind of big body on the right side with which he was so successful earlier in his career with Nathan Horton and Jarome Iginla. And that could – we stress could – play into Coyle’s hands with his 6-foot-3, 220-pound frame.

“Playing wing, you’re usually the first guy in on the forecheck and I think that’s where my game comes out a little more,” said Coyle. “I can get to initiate my body contact and get in there and win puck battles. And play with Krejci, who is a pass-first kind of guy and he can thread that needle pretty good, so you’ve got to be ready and have your finger on that trigger and just be ready to rip it, so that’s the mindset.”

Is this a long-term solution? Probably not, but through these eyes Lindholm, in Coyle’s old spot, played well enough between Anders Bjork and Zach Seynyshyn to give it another try.

Even though the Bruins are 11-3-3 and atop Atlantic Division standings, there is a feeling here that this roster is not quite complete yet. It’s safe to say that the Bruins are not as bad as their past four games (1-2-1), but it’s a good bet the’re not as good as their 11-1-2 start. Exactly who these Bruins are is a question still to be answered. They are good, but are they championship good?

Before the trading season is upon, in-house options must be explored. And as far as those options go, this is a pretty interesting one.

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