Bruins’ Jim Montgomery Proven Right With Third-Line Decision Vs. Kings

BOSTON — Bruins head coach Jim Montgomery experimented recently by having Trent Frederic play on the first and second lines.

Montgomery evidently didn’t love those results and moved Frederic back to his original third line alongside James van Riemsdyk and Morgan Geekie in Boston’s 5-4 overtime loss to the Los Angeles Kings at TD Garden on Saturday afternoon.

Despite the loss, Montgomery couldn’t have been more right in reuniting that third line.

Frederic, van Riemsdyk and Geekie were a catalyst for the Bruins as they factored into three out of the four Boston goals.

“We had a great performance from our third line offensively,” Montgomery said. “A lot of times that should be enough.”

The trio played with a hard-nosed edge and constantly did work in the dirty areas on the ice. It certainly paid off.

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van Riemsdyk opened the scoring midway through the first period when he dug out a loose puck in the crease before firing in a shot. Frederic started the sequence when he tried to score on the doorstep.

van Riemsdyk added another tally in the first period, this time coming seven seconds into a power play. The veteran forward once again parked himself in front of the net and scored off a rebound.

Frederic, who notched an assist and fought Andreas Englund in the opening frame, got into the scoring act with 12:48 remaining in the third period. Frederic broke a 3-3 deadlock at the time when he crashed to the front of the net after Kings goalie David Rittich denied Geekie’s attempt, allowing Frederic to put home the rebound.

“(van Riemsdyk’s) first goal is just from putting it behind the net. I think that’s when our line is playing our best,” said Frederic, who now has 31 points, matching his career-high output from last season. “The second goal is a rush goal, more just crashing the net. But getting the puck to the net. When we had the puck down low, I thought we did well.”

The contributions from Boston’s third line were immense, especially with the top two lines from the Bruins not generating anywhere close to the same offensive results.

Frederic, van Riemsdyk and Geekie didn’t do anything flashy, but their workman-like effort was effective. Montgomery pushed the right button by putting that trio back together and should keep them together moving forward.

“(I liked) just how direct and how north they were,” Montgomery said. “How they went to hard areas, won goal-line races.”