BOSTON — Jake DeBrusk and Ryan Donato skated on the same line for the first time on Saturday afternoon.
It’s safe to say things went pretty well.
"I liked it," Bruins coach Bruce Cassidy said. "I think most people liked it. I thought they had good chemistry. They were feeding off each other."
DeBrusk returned to the lineup after missing eight games with an upper body injury and contributed two goals [...]
BOSTON — Jake DeBrusk and Ryan Donato skated on the same line for the first time on Saturday afternoon.
It’s safe to say things went pretty well.
“I liked it,” Bruins coach Bruce Cassidy said. “I think most people liked it. I thought they had good chemistry. They were feeding off each other.”
DeBrusk returned to the lineup after missing eight games with an upper body injury and contributed two goals and an assist while Donato added a goal and an assist as the Bruins dominated Florida, 5-1, at TD Garden.
The victory boosted the Bruins back atop the Eastern Conference, one point ahead of Tampa Bay, and clinched home ice advantage in the first round of the playoffs. The Bruins visit Tampa Bay on Tuesday and they have a game in hand on the Lightning.
It was the first multi-goal game in DeBrusk’s brief NHL career. In 65 games this season, he has 16 goals and 26 assists for 42 points. His 16 goals rank fifth on the team.
“I felt a little rusty today to be honest,” DeBrusk said, “but at the same time it was nice to contribute and get on the board and help the team win. Yeah, I was missing it a lot, especially the last couple of games.”
Donato is on a point per game pace with four goals and three assists for seven points in seven games since joining the Bruins two weeks ago after his Harvard team was eliminated from the ECAC playoffs. He had another golden opportunity to score with 6:21 remaining, but his backhander sailed wide on a breakaway.
DeBrusk and Donato have both excited Bruins fans this season and best of all they’re both only 21 years old.
This was the first Bruins’ game in which Donato and DeBrusk were both active.
DeBrusk replaced veteran Brian Gionta alongside center David Krejci on the Bruins’ second line. Donato moved from left wing to right wing and DeBrusk took over at left wing. Donato was playing out of position, but that didn’t seem to bother him.
“I don’t mind it,” Donato said. “I think it’s something I’ll get used to. It was tough at the beginning just kind of getting used to having the puck on that opposite side, but definitely I’ll get more comfortable the more opportunity I get there.”
Rick Nash had been skating at right wing on Krejci’s line before an upper body injury forced him to sit out the last seven games. Once Nash gets healthy, Cassidy said he plans to return him to Krejci’s side, but there’s no assurance that Nash will re-sign with the Bruins for next season. So if Donato can be productive on his off wing, he could skate with DeBrusk if the team needs that from him.
DeBrusk’s first goal gave the Bruins the lead for good, 2-1, at 14:06 of the first period. Donato stole the puck from Florida defenseman Alexander Petrovic behind the Panthers’ net and he passed in front to DeBrusk, whose quick shot beat goaltender James Reimer.
“From what I watched,” DeBrusk said of his time being injured, “I saw he was more of a shooter, [but] in saying that he gave me a tap-in today. So he’s lots of fun to play with and he’s a really good young player.
“Jake’s a great kid,” Donato said. “I’ve gotten to know him over the last couple of years at being at development camp with him and I’ve really gotten along with him and obviously he’s really good to play with on the ice.”
Donato made it 3-1 at 1:32 of the second period when he beat Reimer with a snap shot after taking a pass from Krejci. DeBrusk built the lead to 5-1 at 16:32 of the second when he poked home a rebound that prompted Panthers coach Bob Boughner to replace Reimer with Roberto Luongo.
After both of his goals, DeBrusk stooped and pumped his fist. He’s been doing that since junior hockey, including after nearly every one of his 44 goals in his final year of junior hockey two years ago.
“When I don’t know what to do, I do that,” he said. “So I don’t know if it’s too much. Guys were giving it to me in here.”
DeBrusk said some of his Bruins teammates instructed him to tone down his celebration
“They said it was too much,” he said. “They were like act like, ‘You’re done it before.’ I was like, ‘It feels like I haven’t done it in a while.’ ”
DeBrusk and Donato are both sons of former NHL players.
Louie DeBrusk scored only 24 goals in 401 games with four NHL teams. Jake should eclipse that total next season. Ted Donato scored 150 goals in 796 games, most of them with the Bruins. It will take Ryan a bit longer to surpass his father, who coached him at Harvard.