Even after their Game 2 loss to the Lightning, the Bruins were still among the favorites by the oddsmakers to win the Stanley Cup. After the Game 3 setback, those odds plummeted to the bottom of the remaining eight teams, putting Friday’s Game 4 in the proverbial must-win category.
To get by Game 4 with a W, the Bruins were once again in juggling mode with their lineup — and Bruce Cassidy made no bones about what was needed when he announced pregame that Ryan Donato would replace Danton Heinen.
“I hope he goes out there and has a stellar game and we’re all writing about it tomorrow,” Cassidy said about Donato in that announcement, “but he’s one of 12 forwards, and all 12 forwards need to be better; all six D need to be better.