The fourth-line forward scored for the Boston Bruins in Monday's 4-3 shootout loss to the Colorado Avalanche.

Johnny Beecher was noticeable for the Boston Bruins Monday night against the Colorado Avalanche.

Despite the 4-3 shootout loss, Beecher – who was a healthy scratch Saturday – showed some resolve and provided a response for Bruins coach Jim Montgomery. The 22-year-old forward had lost a bit of his early-season spunk that made the fourth line a difference maker, but streaks of it came back Monday at Ball Arena.

While slotting in for Jakub Lauko and skating on the left wing with Jesper Boqvist at center and Oskar Steen on the other flank, Beecher logged a goal and a hefty hit through 9:16 of total ice time.

Montgomery spoke earlier this week about the Bruins’ on-going search for an identity for their fourth line.

“You’ve got to have energy, got to bring energy to the bench, you’ve got to be hard to play against and you’ve got to hang on to pucks,” Montgomery said Saturday. “Those are the things we are looking for – a line that can go out after goals against or goals for, build the team momentum or get it back.”

Monday’s showing from Beecher, Boqvist and Steen lent itself to those needs.

Beecher laid out Colorado defenseman Devon Toews behind the Avalanche net in the opening minutes of the first period, bodying his opponent off the puck and adding some snarl to the B’s bottom six. Standing at 6-foot-3, 216 pounds, Beecher’s physicality is an obvious asset to his game when he chooses to use it.

Prior to Monday’s matchup, Montgomery said he decided to put Beecher in the lineup to help with Boston’s productivity at the face-off dot. The University of Michigan product finished the night with a 77.8 face-off percentage – the top ranking among all Bruins centers in the game.

Beecher found the 2-2 equalizer for the B’s at 10:05 of the second period, knocking in the rebound of Danton Heinen’s wrap-around shot while crashing the crease. The play marked Beecher’s first goal since Nov. 27 and his fifth of the season.

“I thought the fourth line was on top of it. Obviously they got that big second goal, but they almost got one in the third, too, after we tied it 3-3,” Montgomery said to reporters Monday.

Beecher – evidently – wasn’t the ultimate game-breaker and he’s no doubt had better performances throughout the year, but the passivity of his recent play began to dissipate.

The Bruins are headed into the second game of their back-to-back Tuesday night against the Arizona Coyotes and, if the forward group remains the same, Beecher has the opportunity to bring some energy to a lineup that’s going to be tired from a battle in Colorado. Puck drop is set for 9 p.m. at Mullet Arena.