Bruins Practice: Kelly-Peverley Change Lines, Seguin On PP
BOSTON (CBS) - With the Bruins down 0-1 to Tampa, and Patrice Bergeron returning to practice, Claude Julien decided to shuffle his lines a bit Monday morning.
When the Bruins hit the Garden ice for practice on Monday, Chris Kelly was back on the third line, where he played since becoming a Bruin in February, and Rich Peverley moved up to the second line in the middle of Mark Recchi and Brad Marchand.
"Just moving guys around a little bit," explained Julien. "I think it's important that if we're going to do that, they get used to playing with each other. And Kelly has an opportunity to play with that line and has gotten used to them a little bit, Peverley does, and now I have some options and just giving some thoughts to maybe different combination if we need be and tomorrow we'll decide which one we want to go with."
Bruins Talk About Line Changes In Practice
"I don't think it's (written) in pen," Peverley said after practice. "I think me and Kells might do a bit of switching off there. I think it was just to give an option down the middle there."
Read: Bergeron Practices, Game 2 Status Uncertain
Kelly moved to the second line for Game 1 of the Eastern Conference Finals against the Tampa Bay Lightning after Patrice Bergeron went down with a concussion.
Now it looks like Julien could go with a second line of Recchi, Peverley and Marchand with Kelly, Michael Ryder and Tyler Seguin on the third line.
Julien kept the first and fourth lines the same, something forward Shawn Thornton pointed out.
"I don't know if you noticed but I still have my Merlot jersey on," Thornton said, referred to the fourth line being called the "Merlot" line. "Four years straight now. Soupy (Gregory Campbell) likes to say "death, taxes and Merlot" for the two of us. I didn't really notice the shake-up. Our line didn't move."
Read: Bergeron's Return To Practice "Breath Of Fresh Air"
Another change Julien tried was rookie Tyler Seguin on the power play. Seguin was on the second group, as the Bruins look to spark a power play that is just 2-for-41 in the playoffs.
"It's just about being ready," said Seguin. "They had me out here this morning, it was the first time I had skated with the power play in over a month and a half. It was nice to get out there, move the puck around and get my feet wet."
"We wanted to make this power play work," said Julien. "It's never a bad thing to have those guys go through it. And if at one point you need them, you need them."
"I think I move the puck around pretty well, I have good speed," Seguin said of what he could bring to the Bruins' man-advantage. "I try and bring that to my game and all parts of the game and a lot of the times it works on the power play."
Read: Bruins-Lightning Eastern Conference Finals Schedule
But for Seguin, the return of Bergeron could mean an end to his playing time. It is not something he is thinking too much about, but is prepared for when the time comes.
"I want to stay in the lineup and contribute, but I'm ready for anything," the rookie said. "I'm just staying prepared and trying not to think about it too much, just stay focused on my game because whenever the opportunity arises I want to capitalize on it."
Every game of the Eastern Conference Finals between the Bruins and Lightning can be heard on 98.5 The Sports Hub's with pregame coverage beginning 30 minutes before each game with the Dunkin Donuts Bruins Pregame show
