3 takeaways as Matthew Poitras impresses, Bruins grind to OT win over Kings

"I'm hoping to get the conditioning back and feel better than I was tonight … play whatever minutes they're giving me and just keep doing my thing," Poitras said.

Through the first three games, the Boston Bruins remain searching for an elusive 60-minute effort.

Despite encountering their share of mishaps, they’ve earned positive results in two of those first three tilts.

Unlike their first two games against the Panthers and Canadiens, the Bruins sometimes struggled to create quality scoring chances during Saturday’s matinee with the Los Angeles Kings. But stout goaltending from Jeremy Swayman and another productive outing from the third and fourth lines kept Boston afloat.

Despite giving up the opening tally for the third straight game — on a Trevor Moore tally at the goal mouth at 5:22 of the second frame — the Bruins persevered to earn two hard-fought points behind Elias Lindholm’s equalizer and David Pastrnak’s overtime winner.

“I think we stepped up to the task tonight,” Swayman said following his 32-save outing. “To see us get it done at home is a rewarding feeling, and we’re going to continue that.”

From Matthew Poitras’ impressive season debut to the Bruins’ performance as a whole, here are a few thoughts from Boston’s gritty 2-1 victory.

Matthew Poitras shines in his first game since January.

From his first shift, Poitras looked determined to make an impact, no matter the assignment.

The 20-year-old last appeared in Boston’s lineup on Jan. 25 in Ottawa before undergoing season-ending shoulder surgery. Despite the setback, Poitras recovered in time to get a head start with his off-season conditioning following his recovery.

Poitras added 10 lbs of muscle over the summer. He felt the added weight didn’t hinder his speed and quickness. On Saturday, he put his 5-foot-11, 180 lb. frame to good use.

“Obviously he hasn’t played a meaningful game in a long time. So we were all happy to see him come back, and it’s never fun being injured. So we’re happy he’s back,” Pastrnak said of Poitras.

“It’s incredible how strong on the puck he is. For his size, he’s very good and impressive with that, so that’s one thing that probably sticks out the most. It’s hard to take the puck away from him, and it’s impressive for his size.”

Poitras didn’t shy away from contact in puck battles. Nor did he shy away from creating scoring chances for his variety of linemates from Pastrnak to Justin Brazeau and Trent Frederic.

Despite not landing a single shot on net, Poitras remained effective in all three zones. His well-rounded performance eventually paid off in overtime amid the end of his long shift.

After pouncing on a turnover, a gassed Poitras found Pastrnak for an outlet feed before heading to the bench. He didn’t sit down for long after he watched Pastrnak put the finishing touches of a give-and-go sequence with Mason Lohrei.

“It definitely builds confidence,” Poitras said. “I’m hoping to get the conditioning back and feel better than I was tonight … play whatever minutes they’re giving me and just keep doing my thing.”

Upon returning to the locker room, Poitras earned his praises from Pastrnak, his teammates, and Boston’s coaching staff. Jim Montgomery felt that Saturday marked Poitras’ best game in a Bruins uniform, but he also saved some praise for his goalie and checking line forwards.

Bruins lean on Swayman and bottom-six before finding their rhythm.

Amid their turnovers and defensive lapses from their first two games, the Bruins didn’t have many problems finding the back of the net. That development changed in Saturday’s heavy-checking tilt.

With offense hard to come by — be it through transition or within their attacking zone setup — the Bruins had to lean on their $66 million goalie to keep them within striking distance. While some of the breakdowns remained, Boston’s D didn’t encounter as many lapses, allowing Swayman to track pucks a little easier in his second start of the season.

Offensively, Boston’s top-six struggled to generate much of anything on the power play and at even strength. But the energy sustained from the third and fourth lines allowed the Bruins to remain within striking distance.

Combined, Boston’s bottom six held a 17-7 edge in shot attempts and a 5-3 advantage in shots on net during 5v5 play.

“I thought, you know, what people would determine [from Saturday] is our bottom six carried us — besides Swayman in net — gave us the opportunity to stay in the game,” Montgomery said. “And then we were able to cash in and get it to overtime.”

The Bruins weren’t rattled after Moore’s tally, regrouping in time for Lindholm’s equalizer and Pastrnak’s game-winner. But they’ll need more out of their four forward trios and three defensive pairs in Monday’s rematch with the Panthers.

The search for that elusive 60-minute effort continues.

Between addressing the holes at the top of the lineup and adding size and strength throughout their depth chart, the Bruins could very well be better built for the postseason compared to previous seasons.

But through the first three games, they’ve yet to sustain a three-zone effort. Despite the defensive struggles against the Panthers and Canadiens and their offensive woes against the Kings, the Bruins carry a 2-1 mark entering Monday’s rematch with Florida.

Between the turnover from last year’s roster and the ongoing rotating door situation within their middle-six, it may take a little time for this year’s Bruins squad to find their footing. Yet, the potential to grow into a well-rounded bunch provides plenty of optimism for Montgomery and his coaching staff.

“It’s still early in the year. We haven’t played a full 60-minute game yet as a team, so there’s lots of areas of growth, offensively and defensively. The first two games, we struggled defensively. Tonight, I thought we struggled with our transition offense,” Montgomery said.

“It’s early in the year. I have to tell myself all the time to be patient with our group because there’s a lot of growth that’s within that lineup. And that’s what excites you about what we can be.”