Bruins Notes: How Boston Turned To Veterans For Much-Needed Comeback

The Boston Bruins are built on veteran leadership, particularly this season after another summer of noticeable roster reconstruction.

The Bruins look to find their way this season in the midst of special teams obstacles that plagued Boston (and still have) through the first month of the season. That played out again Tuesday when Boston could not capitalize on the power play and surrendered a pair of goals to the Blues during St. Louis’ time on the man-advantage in the second period.

Against more self-inflicted adversity, Boston needed impact plays from their veteran leaders and they certainly delivered in a 3-2 comeback victory.

“The bench was great. Our leaders were fantastic,” Bruins head coach Jim Montgomery told Andy Brickley, as seen on NESN’s postgame coverage. “They were very positive all night long. I think that’s our best 60-minute game in awhile here. … I think they weren’t going to let us lose tonight. You could just see it. They were stepping out on the ice with an elevated purpose in the third period.”

Morgan Geekie got Boston on the board. Charlie McAvoy followed that up with a perfectly-timed laser of a slapshot through traffic that left him with a shooting lane to even the score. Finally, who other than David Pastrnak to deliver his 63rd career game-winning goal? He found the back of the net for the Bruins with under two minutes remaining in regulation.

“The belief we had in the room, you could feel it,” Pastrnak told Andrew Raycroft, per NESN’s postgame coverage. “We obviously didn’t have any goals going into the third, but there was something different. We felt we were going to get it. … Heck of a comeback for us and big win for our group.”

The Bruins are far from a perfect team. Their flaws on special teams sounded alarms to begin this season and have to be addressed on a consistent basis.

“You learn from adversity,” Montgomery told reporters, per NESN’s postgame coverage. “The fact that we’re 4-1-1 in our last six, but it doesn’t feel like it.”

For now, veteran experience must pave the way, just as it did Tuesday night.

“Just be resilient,” Boston goaltender Jeremy Swayman told reporters, per NESN’s postgame coverage. “Have a lot of belief in this room. That’s gonna be a game we remember moving forward. Definitely going to catapult us in the right direction.”

Here are more notes from Tuesday’s Bruins-Blues game:

— Hampus Lindholm left the matchup after the first period with a lower-body injury after a shot block in front of the Bruins net. He did not return to action.

— Geekie scored his first goal of the season with resilience of his own after not taking the ice for three consecutive games, drawing praise from his head coach.

“Really proud of him,” Montgomery said. “He sat out, maybe, three games in a row. I could see his work ethic in practice coming and coming. That’s his best game of the year. That’s the Morgan Geekie we know can help the Bruins win every night.”

“It’s fun,” Geekie told reporters, per NESN’s postgame coverage. “Finally got a good win song. It’s good to listen to that. It’s good. I think that was a big one for us to compete the way we did.”

— David Pastrnak’s game-winner marked his team-leading seventh goal of the season for the Bruins.

— McAvoy responded well after Montgomery switched him off the top power-play unit in favor of Lindholm. McAvoy answered the indirect call to elevate his play when he ripped a slapshot to even the score at 2-2 for the Bruins.

— Boston improved to 5-2-1 against the Western Conference to start this season.

— The Bruins won their first game of the season when trailing after two periods, as referenced by Adam Pellerin on NESN’s postgame coverage.

— The Bruins continue their road trip Thursday night in Dallas against the Stars, who defeated Boston 5-2 at TD Garden on Oct. 24. Puck drop is set for 8 p.m. ET. You can catch the game, plus an hour of pregame coverage, on NESN.