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Bruins put rookie Ryan Donato in lineup for Game 4 vs. Lightning

Boston Bruins

Rookie forward Ryan Donato played for Boston in Friday night's 4-3 overtime loss in Game 4 of the Bruins' second-round playoff series with the Tampa Bay Lightning.

The Lightning took a 3-1 series lead.

Donato played on the third line with Sean Kuraly and Brian Gionta. Cassidy said he was hoping the rookie could provide a spark for the team after the team's lackluster effort in Game 3 in Boston on Wednesday night.

"We need some more pop in our lineup. We need some more energy, enthusiasm and puck-pursuit," Cassidy said. "I think he can add that."

Donato, a star at Harvard and on the U.S. Olympic hockey team, was a late-season call-up for the Bruins. He had five goals and four assists in 12 regular-season games.

In his only playoff appearance, Donato played 9 minutes, 24 seconds in Game 2 of the first-round series against Toronto. He had three shots on goal in a 7-3 win over the Maple Leafs.

"I definitely think the first game got the nerves out a little bit," Donato said. "Being a kid from Boston, it's tough to kind of wrap your head around playing in a playoff game [for the Bruins]. Now having a second opportunity, it's a little more relaxing. I know kind of what to expect and hopefully I'll use that to my benefit."

Brad Marchand and Jake DeBrusk , who were listed as game-time decisions, were both in the lineup Friday night.

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