After connecting for the winning goal against the New York Rangers on Thursday and practicing together on Friday, Trent Frederic, Matt Poitras and Morgan Geekie look poised to start the season together on the Boston Bruins third line.
BRIGHTON, Mass. – Trent Frederic is used to being the young guy. He still is that, to an extent, but at 25 years old with nearly 200 NHL games under his belt now – and with the significant roster turnover the Boston Bruins faced this offseason – Frederic is approaching veteran status.
When looking at the potential third line for Boston’s opening night lineup, Frederic really is the elder statesman. Frederic was paired up with free agent signing Morgan Geekie through all of training camp, who he has beat by just 159 days in age and also by six years within the Bruins organization. The new third-line partnership seems to have found the final piece of their puzzle.
Matt Poitras, the 19-year-old Bruins training camp wunderkind who appears to have captured a surprise roster spot – and the hearts of Bruins fans across North America – centered the line with Frederic and Geekie in Thursday night’s 3-1 win over the New York Rangers in Boston’s preseason finale.
“I honestly just wanted to play well for [Poitras],” Frederic said on Friday. “He’s a really smart player. He’s shifty. I feel like, a lot of the time, he’s in the right spots. He’s pretty easy to play with.”
After an abysmal showing through two periods, where the Bruins were outshot 7-0 at 5-on-5 with that trio on the ice, they gave Boston the spark they needed when Frederic connected with Poitras to score the game-winning goal just 1:13 into the third period.
“‘Freddy’ and ‘Geeks’ did a good job of getting the puck down low, and I just tried to find a quiet area,” Poitras told reporters in New York after the game Thursday. “‘Freddy’ got it to me, and I don’t know, I just put it far side.”
The three skated on the same line during practice on Friday. Bruins coach Jim Montgomery said management will continue evaluating players through scrimmages and the remaining training sessions before officially locking in a final roster, but all signs point to Frederic-Poitras-Geekie sticking together.
Montgomery called Poitras a “natural center,” which is why he hasn’t moved away from the pivot, but both Geekie and Frederic have experience playing center as well, and Frederic recognizes the advantages that holds.
“Anyone can play low, first guy back, which is always great,” Frederic said. “It’s just making sure we communicate that not everyone has to go play low, but it’s been great the last game.”
Coming off a season where he set a career-high in goals (17), assists (14) and points (31), Frederic taking another step forward as a middle six producer would be huge for the Bruins chances of making the playoffs this season.
Known for his physical game along the boards, Frederic is growing into other parts of his game that Montgomery believes are being overlooked.
“I think that [Frederic’s] underrated as far as how skilled he is,” Montgomery said. “But he’s a skilled player that can work in behind you, work through you.”
Regardless of how many games the line combination plays, since Poitras could be sent down to the OHL before he plays 10 NHL games without losing a year from his entry-level contract, the excitement in the Bruins locker room is real surrounding the unlikely third line.