Bruce Cassidy is shaking things up with his club on the brink of elimination.
The Boston Bruins head coach made more than one tweak to his forward lines ahead of Game 5 against the Tampa Bay Lightning on Sunday, with the Bruins trailing the second-round series 3-1.
The #bruins are juggling their bottom-nine for Game 5, per Bruce Cassidy:
— Chris Johnston (@reporterchris) May 6, 2018
Marchand-Bergeron-Pastrnak
Donato-Krejci-Rick Nash
DeBrusk-Kuraly-Backes
Schaller-Riley Nash-Acciari
Here's how they looked ahead of Game 4, which the Lightning won 4-3 in overtime Friday night:
#NHLBruins line rushes:
— Boston Bruins (@NHLBruins) May 4, 2018
Marchand – Bergeron – Pastrnak
DeBrusk – Krejci – Rick Nash
Donato – Kuraly – Gionta
Schaller – Acciari – Backes
Chara – McAvoy
Krug – Miller
Grzelcyk – McQuaid
So, to summarize Sunday's changes:
- Ryan Donato is moving up to the second line to play alongside David Krejci and Rick Nash.
- Jake DeBrusk is swapping places with Donato and moving down to the third line with Sean Kuraly and David Backes.
- Backes is taking that spot on the third line, moving up from the fourth unit.
- Riley Nash is drawing back into the lineup, while Brian Gionta is sitting out.
