The Bruins, 4-2 losers to the Red Wings Saturday night, began the evening with Danton Heinen manning left wing on the second line. Joakim Nordstrom later moved into the spot. By game’s end, it was Ryan Donato on No. 2 duty, riding with David Krejci and Jake DeBrusk.
Three periods, three No. 2 left wingers.
“Is that all?” kidded coach Bruce Cassidy.
Donato, who ended up scoring his second goal of the season (his first since his AHL refresher course), will pick up there for the start of Tuesday’s game in Sunrise, Fla.
“We’re going to try it with Ryan,” said Cassidy. “I thought he did a good on the offensive side of things.”
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Donato, a Harvard junior this time last year, has speed, hands, and shot — the critical goal-scoring elements that encouraged him to leave Cambridge a year early to turn pro. Considered a second-line lock headed into training camp, he was demoted to Providence at the end of October, in large part because he wasn’t displaying enough fight for the puck or getting scoring chances in the dirty areas of the ice.
“Listen, he wants to score every time he’s on the ice,” noted Cassidy. “That hasn’t changed. We are just trying to clean up the rest. When you’re playing up in the lineup [first or second line], you’re seeing better defensemen and you’re probably playing against the other team’s first or second line, so you have to make sure you are accountable the other way. So we’re going to work with him on that. “
Beyond that, said Cassidy, he liked Donato’s “compete on the puck” and the fact that he shot and scored.
Donato, now 2-0—2 through 13 games, said he’s learned that it’s not easy to score in the best league in the world.
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“So when one goes in,” he said, “it’s a good feeling.”
The coaching staff, said Donato, has emphasized his need to be “good on the walls,” standard coaching parlance for engaging and battling along the boards.
“I think every young guy kind of has to adapt to the NHL game,” noted Donato. “It’s not easy on the wall with those big defensemen. And making sure to be consistent. I want to make sure I am giving it my all out there every shift and always be in the right spots.”
Krug gets the day off
Torey Krug, the club’s No. 1 offensive force on the blue line, did not skate in the late-morning workout. Cassidy said it was a maintenance day for Krug and that he expects him to be in the lineup Tuesday night in Sunrise . . . Rookie center Jakob Forsbacka Karlsson was back practicing with the varsity, one day after being assigned to Providence. He was on the flight to Florida . . . Brad Marchand, the club’s top point producer the past two seasons, thus far has scored only three goals at even strength. Of his 73 goals the last two seasons, 17 came on the power play. Four of his seven strikes thus far have been on the advantage . . . Jaro Halak, in his last five starts in the Boston net: 3-2-0 with a .926 save percentage. Tuukka Rask in his five starts since a recent leave of absence: 2-1-2, .934. Cassidy is expect to give them each a start on the trip. The hotter hand likely gets the start here Saturday with the Maple Leafs in town.
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Kevin Paul Dupont can be reached at kevin.dupont@globe.com. Follow him on Twitter @GlobeKPD.