Bruce Cassidy on the Bruins’ third line: ‘I am concerned’
Is it time to change things up?
Bruce Cassidy didn’t sugarcoat things after Boston’s spiritless 4-1 loss to Tampa Bay in Game 3 Wednesday night.
“Intensity. Urgency,” he said. “Pick your word. We didn’t have it.”
The Bruins head coach didn’t brush off the struggles of the team’s third line — Danton Heinen, Riley Nash, and David Backes — who have yet to score in their first three games against the Lightning. Cassidy acknowledged the trio’s performance raises a level of concern and suggested possible lineup changes could be in store.
“We’ve got some guys that weren’t dressed that have played well for this team,” he told reporters. “If [Heinen-Nash-Backes] stay in, obviously, they need to be better.”
Cassidy said the team will discuss the best way to address the situation Thursday. He noted much of the group’s conversations Tuesday were centered around secondary scoring, as the team hopes to find a way to support their prolific first line.
“If you don’t have your A game, bring your B game,” Cassidy told reporters. “You got to defend better. That’s where my issue lies. You need to bring something else to the table, and eventually scoring will come.”
For the third line, the challenges aren’t simply limited to finishing opportunities in front of the net. Heinen, Nash, and Backes haven’t been able to create much of anything against Tampa Bay. After getting held shot-less through Games 1 and 2, Nash — who could still be recovering from a laceration to his right ear — had the trio’s lone two shots on goal in Game 3.
Few pucks on net is becoming a common occurrence for the group. Heinen’s only shot on goal of the series came in Game 1, while Backes — who has looked incredibly slow on the ice — has four shots between Games 1 and 2. None, of course, have connected.
“I don’t think we have a goal in this series, so it’s been one of those things where it’s just kind of a battle right now,” Nash told reporters after the game. “You have to keep trying to do the right things. I don’t think we’re getting the chances we had late in the season . . . Once one goes in for you, and you start to feel a little bit better about yourself and your confidence grows, then maybe a couple more will follow.
Over the course of the series, Heinen-Nash-Backes have logged nearly 18 minutes of five-on-five skate time together. But their production has been almost nonexistent. When the trio is on the ice, the Bruins have been outshot 16-4 and outscored 2-0 — the latter could be worse if not for goaltender Tuukka Rask. During the regular season, however, the trio outscored opponents 14-11.
As defenseman Torey Krug noted, Game 4 is “almost a must-win game” for the Bruins, so Cassidy — who swapped Tommy Wingels in for Tim Schaller in Game 3 to boost the team’s “physicality” — may consider moving more personnel around.
One possibility is integrating left winger Ryan Donato, who got his first, and only, taste of NHL postseason action in Game 2 against Toronto. Although the 22-year-old had five goals and four assists in his 12 regular-season outings, Cassidy has elected to keep him on the bench for the large majority of the Bruins’ playoff run.
Moving forward, however, Donato could offer fresh legs and a spark of youth, in addition to his offensive potential. As for where he fits in the lineup?
Shifting Rick Nash to the third line to replace Heinen and bringing Donato in to join Jake DeBrusk and David Krejci in the second line seems like a viable alternative to, at the very least, try. If not Donato, former Boston College star Brian Gionta, who signed with the Bruins after competing in the 2018 Winter Games in Pyeongchang, is another option to change things up.
Cassidy could keep the faith in Heinen-Nash-Backes — with hopes they channel some of their regular-season energy — but if things continue as they are, the Bruins could find themselves down 3-1 heading to Tampa.
Correction: A previous version of this story indicated Ryan Donato had not yet played for the Bruins in the playoffs, when in fact he played in Game 2 of Boston’s series against Toronto. Boston.com regrets the error.
