‘Motivated’ Donato gets night off
If Ryan Donato needed a fire lit under him, being scratched from last night’s 4-1 win against the Oilers may have done just that.
The 22-year-old winger was not happy sitting out the contest, but he’s using that as motivation.
“(It’s) in a good way,” he said before the game. “I’m supportive of my teammates, I understand. I’m more pissed off at myself and want to get back in the lineup.”
Sitting out isn’t anything new for Donato, either. He was pulled from the lineup in the postseason — he had only 12 games of NHL experience before the playoffs — and learned from that situation as well.
But being replaced in the lineup by Joakim Nordstrom for the fourth game of the regular season stirred some of those emotions again for Donato.
“I think the benefit was being pissed off,” he said. “I wanted to come back harder. That’s something that this time does. Being above, there’s things you also learn in the game and it’s harder to see that on the ice. Being able to go above, you get that hunger that when I get that number again, I want to make sure I give it all I got and don’t take any shifts off.”
While lighting a fire is certainly a factor in sitting Donato, there’s also things the Bruins are hoping he can observe from the ninth floor that he can bring to his game once he gets back in the lineup.
“It’s fairly straightforward, we’re not set on who’s going to be our automatic 13th forward,” said coach Bruce Cassidy. “It’s different combinations, and at the end of the day, play better if you want to stay in the lineup.”
Nordstrom didn’t play in the B’s home opener when
Chris Wagner got the call, and Anders Bjork sat out a game as well while the team has tried to find the right group of regulars.
Donato likely falls into the “regular” group long term, but with the potential he possesses, sending a message isn’t a bad thing.
“Usually that’s the last message if guys are confused,” said Cassidy. “He’s not, by any means. But if that’s the case, then you have to earn your spot and keep it.”
In his three games, Donato scored one goal on the power play and fired four shots while primarily skating with Jake DeBrusk and
David Krejci.
With offense as his strength, his success is going to come by generating more chances. The Bruins hope he can see the ice and where he can improve by watching from a different perspective until he gets back in the lineup.
Donato said he knows he needs to gain “confidence and experience,” and those things only come with time.
“It’s early in the year, so I’m not too worried about it,” he said. “I’m going to take it as a positive and look at the benefits. I can watch the game and look at some of the things they want me to work on.”
Goalie rotation
Jaroslav Halak got the start in net last night and according to Cassidy will likely play next Thursday as well in Edmonton. Tuukka Rask will start against Detroit tomorrow.
“It was scripted that way,” said Cassidy. “He played Thursday in Buffalo, we’re trying to space out his starts so there’s not too much time in between.” …
Martin Bakos participated in yesterday’s pregame skate. He suffered a lowerbody injury in training camp and was placed on injured reserve and hasn’t seen the ice since early in camp. The 28-year-old Slovakian winger will likely be sent to Providence once cleared to play.
Familiar foes
Milan Lucic is the former teammate who generates the most attention with Edmonton in town, but he’s not the only Oiler to have skated with a member of the Bruins.
Brad Marchand played with superstar Connor McDavid at the 2016 World Championships with Team Canada, and the Bruins winger saw McDavid’s skill up close.
“Most of the time whenever he got it and started skating up the ice, I just changed because I wasn’t catching him,” said Marchand.
McDavid, 21, has hit the 100-point plateau each of the past two seasons.