Seguin getting used to playing on Bruins' third line

BOSTON -- Tyler Seguin was chosen by the Boston Bruins with the second pick in the 2010 NHL Draft. At the time, the belief around the League was he would be a top-line player with strong production on the offensive end.

Just under three years after he was drafted, Seguin finds himself on the Bruins' third line in the Stanley Cup Playoffs, filling a role he probably never envisioned himself playing at this stage of his career.

Seguin likely will be lining up against the Pittsburgh Penguins alongside Rich Peverley and Kaspars Daugavins in Game 4 of the Eastern Conference Final on Friday (8 p.m. ET; NBCSN, CBC, RDS).

The Bruins lead the best-of-7 series against the top-seeded Penguins 3-0 with a chance to advance to the Stanley Cup Final as soon as Friday. That is exactly why Seguin has no problem with how he's being used by Boston coach Claude Julien.

"It's an adjustment," Seguin said Friday. "But I think in the back of your head all you think about is going all the way and doing it for your team. Someone's got to do it. In the playoffs there's always someone doing something that they're not used to, whether it's injuries or whatnot. I'm doing what I can [while] being moved out of my regular position."

Seguin began the playoffs on a line with Patrice Bergeron and Brad Marchand. By the start of the second round against the New York Rangers, Seguin was replaced by Jaromir Jagr and bumped down to the third line with Peverley and Chris Kelly. For Game 4, Kelly likely will move down to the fourth line to replace injured Gregory Campbell, while Peverley moves over to center and Daugavins enters the lineup on left wing opposite Seguin.

Seguin's ice time has suffered as a result of the move, dropping from an average of 17:00 per game in the regular season to 15:20 per game in the playoffs. Since the start of the second round, Seguin has topped the 15-minute mark in ice time twice, each in an overtime game.

But in spite of the reduced role, Seguin is able to see the importance of what he does for the team.

"We're trying to be strong in our zone and get momentum, get chances," Seguin said. "I think all of us on our line like to score goals and that's what we'd like to be doing, but I think also in the playoffs you have to step into shoes you're not used to filling. You've got to go out there and -- if it's making an extra hit or playing good in your own zone -- create chances for the next line to go out there and maybe score a goal. I think it starts from the line before as well, and we're taking a lot of pride in that right now."