Yeah, that was his one week of good play last year.
So you want to kill him for elevating his game in the playoffs? Interesting.
He's a fourth line center, who happens to play on our third line and gets top 6 minutes; something wrong with that picture.
I'd love to hear how you would describe a third line center. You can knock Boyle for his offensive production (short sided when looking at a third line center) but there's a reason he's a third line center.
Look at the third line centers for the past four Cup-winning teams in the years those teams won the Cup.
Stoll (2011-2012): 6-15 = 21
Kelly (2010-2011): 14-14 = 28 (12-11 with OTT, 2-3 with Boston)
Madden (2009-2010): 10-12 = 23 Bolen (2009-2010) 6-10=16
Staal (2008-2009): 22-27 =49
Boyle (2011-2012): 11-15 = 26
Outside of Staal (who is hardly a true #3 center), Boyle's season last year matches fairly well with the other previous Cup-winning third line centers. Boyle's season in 10-11 is better than all of those (again, aside from Staal who is hardly a true third line center).