Bruins may have more line changes in store against Oilers

While head coach Bruce Cassidy has no plans to make a much-discussed change to the top line, he may tinker in other areas in the hopes of balancing the Bruins’ scoring.

BOSTON -- Something is, in fact, etched in stone.

After much offseason and preseason discussion, the Bruins aren’t touching the line of Patrice Bergeron between wingers Brad Marchand and David Pastrnak.

“Hands off. Right where they are right now -- in my pockets,” head coach Bruce Cassidy said on Wednesday.

Cassidy’s hands are full when it comes to the Bruins’ three other forward lines, though, and another switch is being contemplated for Thursday night’s game against the Oilers at TD Garden (7:05, NESN, WBZ-FM/98.5).

The second-line combination of left wing Jake DeBrusk and center David Krejci, which ran through numerous right wings last season and has already used two candidates through three games this year, might meet Contestant No. 3: Joakim Nordstrom, pegged as a fourth-liner/penalty-killer when he signed as a free agent on July 1, could step out of the stands and onto the second line. If so, Scituate native Ryan Donato, who has played with Krejci and DeBrusk for the past two games (both wins) would have to find a new line, or watch a game.

“There’s a pretty good chance (Nordstrom) will go in,” said Cassidy, who left Nordstrom out of Monday’s 6-3 victory over the Senators to get Chris Wagner, a healthy scratch for Game 2 at Buffalo, back into the lineup. “He’ll add a good, solid responsible player in there.

“Maybe Ryan comes out. Part of that is (Donato) understanding the details of the game, what’s needed every night. I think we’ve done that with every young player last year, so that could be what I’ll do.”

While either Marchand (0-7--7), Bergeron (4-2--6) or Pastrnak (3-2--5) has contributed to all but one of the 10 goals the B’s have scored over the last two games, the only other line with a goal was Monday’s version of the fourth line: Wagner at left wing (goal), Sean Kuraly at center (assist) and Noel Acciari at right wing.

That was the third version of the fourth line Cassidy has used in three games, and he thought it “played like a second line the other night. … They generated offense. They scored a goal. They were sound defensively.”

There was also a new third line, with Danton Heinen at left wing, David Backes at center and Anders Bjork at right wing. Cassidy said he “thought that line was good, so there’s a good chance that we’ll keep them together. Maybe something grows from it.”

DeBrusk (16-27--43 as a rookie) and Krejci (17-27--44 in 64 games) grew into a formidable combination last season despite the absence of a full-time right wing, but their start has been slow: DeBrusk doesn’t have a point, and Krejci’s only point is an assist on a goal by Pastrnak, scored in Buffalo during a line change. Donato, who played Game 1 at left wing on the third line (Heinen skated with DeBrusk and Krejci), has one goal so far in his true rookie season, but it came on a power play, where he plays with Bergeron’s line.

If Cassidy swaps out Donato for Nordstrom, who has a 10-goal season on his resume with the Hurricanes (2015-16) but has scored only nine over the last two years (157 games), it’ll be significant, but also represent a little less tinkering than has been the case so far.

“If that’s what we decide to do for a game or two, it’s as much about keeping those guys competitive and letting the other guys know it’s not automatic every night,” the coach said. “There are certain guys who are automatics, and there are some that aren’t. We’re still sorting through that.”

Around the boards: Saturday’s start time against the Red Wings at the Garden has been switched to 3 p.m. from 7 p.m., so as not to bump against Game 1 of the Red Sox-Astros ALCS, which starts at 8 at Fenway Park.