Marco Sturm was going to have to shake something up to get David Pastrnak into the Bruins lineup and keep Alex Steeves in it.
His choice was unexpected.
Pastrnak returned to the lineup on a line with rookie Fraser Minten and Marat Khusnutdinov. Minten had been centering the third line, but no line with Pastrnak can really be a bottom-six unit.
Sturm had been keeping rugged Tanner Jeannot with Minten to keep opponents from trying to run the rookie center. But playing him with Pastrnak and the undersized Khustnutdinov gives Minten much more skill alongside him and a chance to expand his offense.
Mikey Eyssimont came out of the lineup. Jeannot dropped down to play with Mark Kastelic and Sean Kuraly.
Steeves stayed with Elias Lindholm and Morgan Geekie. Sturm kept the No. 2 trio of Pavel Zacha, Casey Mittelstadt and Viktor Arvidsson together.
