The Boston Bruins did not have an ideal first 40 minutes last night in Manhattan. It was a continuation of a sloppy start to the preseason. Then, Mikey Eyssimont took the game over. 

The July 1 signing scored twice to take the game from 4-1 to 4-3, then set up Marat Khusnutdinov for a tap-in to tie the game. In overtime, Nikita Zadorov won it. 

“Hopefully it just shows that we fight until the end and see games all the way through,” Eyssimont said. “We fixed a lot of things, and that’s a sign of a mature team.”

The Bruins' message from Head Coach Marco Sturm down to the veterans in the lineup was crystal clear.

"We addressed it after a second," Sturm said. "That's, That's not us. All right. That's not the Boston Bruins. That's not how we want to play. That's not how we want to represent our logo on that jersey. But, good for them for responding and ending up winning the game too."

"We're trying to set the standards in here," Zadorov said. "[Show] How we want to play. After the second period, we talked in the room a lot. It was a clear message that it [the second period] wasn't good enough.

"It's nice when you can lead, then the guys can respond, and they can show up after that, for sure."

Clearly, the Bruins were not satisfied with their effort. Sturm shook up his forward lines for the third period, trying for a spark. Eyssimont lit the team on fire. 

"I had Mikey before, so no surprise for me," Sturm said. Sturm saw a young Eyssimont trying to break through with the Los Angeles Kings and Ontario Reign for years. 

“It’s nice to see him get rewarded,” Sturm said. “He works extremely hard. What I like about him, he doesn't complain. He accepts his role, whatever it is, and tries the best he can. Guys like him, you always root for because he cares. And because he has not just grit, but skill. That’s something you welcome.”

As for Eyssimont's role in Sturm's eye? He's got a big one.

"Bottom six PK noise is probably, definitely bottom six," Sturm said. "But, we need some killers... And I also know if the big guys are not going, He's an easy guy to put [out there] and get a little bit more energy out of a different line."

For Eyssimont, that opportunity and guaranteed trust are exactly why he chose the Bruins as a free agent this past July.

"That’s what I was going for the most," Eyssimont said.  "Opportunity. Going to a place where my wings aren’t clipped, and I can kind of thrive. I’m not just trying to tread water. This seemed like a place that has that, and I’m just looking to make the most of it.”