BOSTON -- Ryan Donato knows that the Bruins’ improving health, combined with his inexperience, might make him a spectator when the B’s host the Maple Leafs in Game 1 of their first-round, best-of-7 playoff series on Thursday night.
He understands.
"(The Bruins have) been great all year, a 50-win team in the regular season, so I won’t take it too personally" if he’s not in Thursday’s lineup, [...]
BOSTON -- Ryan Donato knows that the Bruins’ improving health, combined with his inexperience, might make him a spectator when the B’s host the Maple Leafs in Game 1 of their first-round, best-of-7 playoff series on Thursday night.
He understands.
“(The Bruins have) been great all year, a 50-win team in the regular season, so I won’t take it too personally” if he’s not in Thursday’s lineup, Donato said. “I’ll just be ready to go if they need me.”
Donato, the Scituate native who turned 22 on Monday, scored five goals and nine points line in 12 games after leaving Harvard University and making his NHL debut on March 19. But with veteran winger Rick Nash on track to return from a concussion and join David Krejci’s line and the Bruins’ first power play unit, jobs Donato has held most often will be swallowed up.
“(Donato) could be out,” said B’s coach Bruce Cassidy, who is also hesitant to ask Donato to substitute at center if Riley Nash (ear laceration) isn’t able to play.
“It’s asking a lot (of Donato) in the playoffs to now play third-line center. I don’t know if we’re going to go down that road.”
Donato, at the very least, would likely be the Bruins’ best option if a winger is injured or falters.
“Things happen all the time,” he said. “No matter what happens, I’ll be ready to go.”
AROUND THE BOARDS: Rick Nash, who missed the last 12 regular-season games, went through Tuesday’s practice and said he was “still getting back up to speed, but everything’s positive.” … Riley Nash, who skated Monday for the first time since getting hurt on March 31, didn’t skate Tuesday. Cassidy said that made him less likely to play in Game 1 … Noel Acciari, Cassidy’s choice to replace Riley Nash as the No. 3 center, took Tuesday off as what Cassidy called an “extra maintenance day. There shouldn’t be any issues for him playing Thursday.”