Bruins Journal: Senyshyn grateful for two-game stint

BOSTON — Playoff-bound teams often try out new combinations, or bring up new personnel, once a postseason position or opponent is guaranteed.

The Bruins took that concept to an extreme in the last two games of the regular season. Forwards Marcus Johansson and Charlie Coyle, who weren’t even in the organization at the beginning of the year, were teamed with Zach Senyshyn, who hadn’t played an NHL game before [...]

BOSTON — Playoff-bound teams often try out new combinations, or bring up new personnel, once a postseason position or opponent is guaranteed.

The Bruins took that concept to an extreme in the last two games of the regular season. Forwards Marcus Johansson and Charlie Coyle, who weren’t even in the organization at the beginning of the year, were teamed with Zach Senyshyn, who hadn’t played an NHL game before Thursday night in Minnesota.

“It felt really good,” said Senyshyn, who got in another game with Johansson and Coyle in Saturday’s regular-season finale against the Lightning. “Of course, it’s my first game and I don’t really know anything else, but playing with two extremely talented players like that always makes it a little bit easier.

“They made my first game really fun. They were really good with me on the bench. It was a nice first game.”

Senyshyn, a first-round draft pick in 2015 (No. 15 overall) who has spent almost two full seasons at AHL Providence, marked that first game with an empty-net goal that sealed a 3-0 win over the Wild. It came on the last of his four shots on goal, as he and the relatively new combination of Johansson (obtained from the Devils on Feb. 25) and Coyle (acquired from the Wild on Feb. 20) played a solid game.

Senyshyn, who had 14 goals and 24 points in 62 games at Providence before the Bruins called him up on Wednesday, is expected to return to the P-Bruins to help them try to lock down a Calder Cup playoff berth.

“I’m just trying to take it day by day,” he said. “It’s kind of been a little bit of a whirlwind the past couple of days, but it’s been a lot of fun.

Rest day for some

Brad Marchand got his second straight game off on Saturday, and was joined this time by linemate Patrice Bergeron and Noel Acciari. The defense pairing of Torey Krug and Brandon Carlo also got the day off. Those moves brought center David Krejci and defensemen Zdendo Chara and Charlie McAvoy (all three rested on Thursday against the Wild) back into the lineup, which was completed with the one-day promotions of defenseman Jeremy Lauzon and forward Anton Blidh from Providence.

Bruins coach Bruce Cassidy said that none of the players who sat out either of the season’s final two games requested time off, or complained about being taken out.

“Nobody willingly wanted to come out today or on Thursday, to be honest with you,” Cassidy said. “Some of these decisions are a little maintenance, little nagging injuries where we just feel we’re better off not playing. Other guys we feel are better off in the lineup, want to be in the lineup.

“There’s always two schools of thought with that. That’s just a decision we made with a lot of our guys.”

Being cautious

Winger Chris Wagner and defenseman Kevan Miller, both nursing lower-body injuries, also skipped Saturday’s game. Wagner didn’t play in three of the season’s last four games while Miller was in his third game back after missing 16 with an upper-body injury when he got hurt in Thursday’s second period.

Cassidy believes both players will be ready for the start of the Bruins’ first-round series against the Maple Leafs, which is expected to begin on Thursday at TD Garden.

“I anticipate (Miller) will be full practice on Monday, ready to go,” Cassidy said. “(Wagner) .... we’ve been advised to hold out. He’ll be best served not playing to be at his best Thursday.”

Center Sean Kuraly, two weeks removed from surgery to repair a fracture in his right hand, and defenseman John Moore, who missed the last six games of the season with an upper-body injury, both skated on Saturday morning, but Cassidy doesn’t expect either to be ready for Game 1 against the Leafs.

Around the boards

Coyle played the 500th game of his NHL career. … Marchand won the 98.5 Sports Hub Three Stars competition (Bergeron finished second, David Pastrnak third) and the Elizabeth C. Dufresne Trophy as the top Bruin in home games. … Jake DeBrusk was the Eddie Shore Award winner (exceptional hustle and determination, selected by the Gallery Gods), and Chara received the John P. Bucyk Award for off-ice charitable work.