Will Bruce Cassidy's Line Tinkering Mean Ryan Donato Gets To Play In Game 4?
BOSTON (CBS) -- After a lethargic 4-1 loss in Game 3 against the Lightning, it's pretty clear that the Bruins need a bit of a shakeup in their offensively-challenged lineup.
While their top line of Patrice Bergeron, Brad Marchand and David Pastrnak is one of the best in the NHL, the other three lines aren't living up to their end of the bargain. And now that they're facing a 2-1 series hole, head coach Bruce Cassidy has hinted a few times that there will be some changes when the Bruins take the ice for Friday night's Game 4 in Boston.
He just isn't saying what those changes will be.
"We'll probably tinker," Cassidy told reporters on Thursday. "[But] I'm not going to tell you who's going in and who's going out because we've got to get the healthy guys sorted out first and we'll go from there. Tuukka will start, I'll give you that."
Maybe Cassidy doesn't have to say anything at all to figure out what that tinkering may be. Look no further than the lines the Bruins trotted out for their practice at Warrior Ice Arena on Thursday.
Brad Marchand and Jake Debrusk were given maintenance days, so they'll be back in the lineup on Friday. Marchand will no doubt be back on the top line, but Debrusk may find himself knocked down to the third line come Friday.
That's because 21-year-old Ryan Donato skated in his place alongside David Krejci and Rick Nash on Thursday. Donato has been scratched for the last seven games, but could provide the jolt needed to get that second line out of their funk. He scored five goals and tallied four assists in his 12 regular season games, spending most of his time with Krejci as his center. The Bruins have also been abysmal on the power play against Tampa, convering on just three of their 19 opportunities, and Donato could provide a spark on that front as well (two of his five goals came with the man advantage).
Donato on the second line would mean Debrusk would likely move down to the third line with Riley Nash and David Backes, another line that is in desperate need of some life. We'll have to see if this is the "tinkering" that Cassidy was referring to, and if they're the changes that Boston needs to get them out of their offensive funk.
