"We'll make some changes [Thursday]. Let's get here in the morning, see if there's any surprises," said Cassidy. "I think these three games we were running with the lineup that I thought was playing really well. I looked at Tampa, the Islanders, and Toronto, three pretty good - I don't want to call the measuring stick games - but sort of see where you're at, what's going well.
"Obviously, the first two went better than [Toronto], and now it's 16 games I believe in 30 days. We have 25 healthy bodies, so how do we best prepare to still accumulate points but get to keep the other guys sharp and ready because we've got to get in the playoffs. Once you're in, there's a bit of a war of attrition at times if you expect to achieve what you want to keep advancing.
"There's a little bit of that we have to factor in now with our lineup. And so, we are talking about that…I think the way it is, we have to be wise on how we manage a few people along the way."
Cassidy added that any changes would be more about getting players who have been out of the lineup for an extended period some reps, as opposed to any sort of punishment for a poor defensive effort against the Maple Leafs. Reilly last played on March 21 vs. Montreal, while Brown last suited up on March 19 when he was still with Ottawa.
"This is more about…some guys may get in if they haven't played in two months, you know what I mean?" said Cassidy. "I don't think that's conducive to success for those individuals. So, let's try at least work them in along the way without disrupting our flow. Big picture is kind of what we want, we've seen over the last few years here with COVID how guys go in and out of your lineup very quickly.
"So, you've got to be able to adapt to that. Not that that's going to be an issue going forward…but if there's a sudden injury. So, I don't think it's a bad thing to work other guys in and keep them motivated."
