Ryan Donato Will Play For Bruins In Game 4 Vs. Lightning

BOSTON (CBS) -- After a Game 3 loss, Bruins head coach Bruce Cassidy said he'd take a long look at his roster and see if it was time to make some changes. With some time to reflect, Cassidy announced Friday morning that it's officially Ryan Donato time.

Donato will suit up for Friday night's Game 4 at the TD Garden, appearing in just his second game of the postseason thus far.

It's unclear where Donato might fit. In the regular season, he found success skating with David Krejci. But the line centered by Krejci -- with Rick Nash and Jake DeBrusk on the wings -- has not necessarily been a weak link for Boston. It's the third line of Danton Heinen-David Backes-Riley Nash that's been really struggling, so it will be interesting to see how exactly Cassidy tinkers with his lines.

In any event, the Bruins should be adding a much-needed scoring threat. Donato, 22, scored four goals and recorded five assists for nine points in his 12 games played at the end of the regular season. In his lone postseason appearance, he recorded no points with three shots on net and a minus-1 rating in 9:24 of ice time.

In Game 3, in a move that ended up having little impact, Cassidy inserted Tommy Wingels into the lineup in place of Tim Schaller on the fourth line. After that loss, Cassidy said he'd have to assess the potential for some more significant changes.

Cassidy said that Brad Marchand and DeBrusk are dealing with some minor injuries and will be game-time decisions, but he expects that they will both play. DeBrusk got in some work Friday morning during the team's optional skate.

Tampa Bay leads the series, 2-1.

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• Boston Bruins
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• Tampa Bay Lightning