TAMPA — With everyone healthy and coming off an impressive 2-0 win in Game 3 on Thursday, it should come as no surprise that Claude Julien will roll out the same lineup for Game 4 in Tampa on Saturday.
Patrice Bergeron returned Thursday after missing the first two games of the Eastern Conference Finals with a concussion and David Krejci shook off a scary hit from Marc-Andre Bergeron to finish the game, and both are fine for Game 4. With those two centers anchoring the top two lines and Tyler Seguin's emergence in Bergeron's absence, the Bruins now have a deeper and more balanced attack for the Lightning to contend with.
That depth extends to the fourth line, where Rich Peverley is now skating with Daniel Paille and Gregory Campbell. That gives the Bruins even more speed and skill up front. Shawn Thornton will be the healthy scratch for the second straight game, as the Bruins tough guy has become of casualty of Seguin's breakout and the Lightning's lack of a true physical threat to counter.
"It is a different type of line because Rich Peverley isn't Shawn Thornton," Julien said. "Shawn is more of a real forechecker and a physical player. Peverley's skill level is obviously a little better, so yeah it does [change that line]. With Paille with speed on one side, Peverley with skill and Campbell with what we know he can do, it makes a pretty decent line."
The Lightning will likely go with the same lineup as well, although forward Dana Tyrell (foot) could be ready to return and Guy Boucher could go back to dressing just 11 forwards and reinsert Randy Jones to the lineup as a seventh defenseman.
Projected Bruins lines
Forwards
Milan Lucic-David Krejci-Nathan Horton
Brad Marchand-Patrice Bergeron-Mark Recchi
Michael Ryder- Chris Kelly-Tyler Seguin
Daniel Paille-Gregory Campbell- Rich Peverley
Defense
Zdeno Chara-Dennis Seidenberg
Andrew Ference-Johnny Boychuk
Tomas Kaberle-Adam McQuaid
Goalies
Tim Thomas
Tuukka Rask
Scratches: Shawn Thornton, Shane Hnidy, Steven Kampfer (knee), Matt Bartkowski, Jordan Caron, Jamie Arniel, Trent Whitfield, Anton Khudobin
Projected Lightning lines
Forwards
Ryan Malone-Steven Stamkos-Martin St. Louis
Simon Gagne-Vincent Lecavalier-Teddy Purcell
Sean Bergenheim-Dominic Moore-Steve Downie
Blair Jones-Nate Thompson-Adam Hall
Defense
Eric Brewer-Mattias Ohlund
Victor Hedman-Brett Clark
Mike Lundin-Marc-Andre Bergeron
Goalies
Dwayne Roloson
Mike Smith
Scratches: Pavel Kubina (upper body), Dana Tyrell (foot), Randy Jones, Mattias Ritola, Mathieu Roy, Matt Smaby, Marc-Andre Pouliot, Mike Angelidis, Dustin Tokarski
