Two games into the season, the Bruins are still an evolving team. Beyond the first line, there are any number of possibilities and combinations that coach Jim Montgomery can still try.

And on Saturday, he very well may get one of the potentially more important pieces with which to work. Montgomery would only say that Matt Poitras is “a possibility” for Saturday’s matinee at the Garden against the Los Angeles Kings if he responds well to Friday’s full practice, but signs pointed toward the second-year centerman making his season debut. In Friday’s session, he centered a line with Trent Frederic and Justin Brazeau and, as is often the custom for a player returning from injury, he led the stretch at the end of practice.

If indeed the 20-year-old Poitras is ready to return from his undisclosed injury, it would add a welcome injection of skill to the third line. It would also be the first real game Poitras has played since his promising rookie season ended after 33 games with a shoulder injury that required extensive surgery.

“It’s been a long time since I played a game that’s meaningful,” said the excited Poitras. “The preseason games obviously mean something because you want to get ready for the season, but now it really means something.”

Many observers – this one included – thought that Poitras was a good candidate to at least start the season in Providence now that he’s eligible to be sent to the AHL. GM Don Sweeney voiced that option at the start of camp as well.

But Poitras had a good camp until he got hurt and he earned his place on the roster again.

“I look where he was in training camp when he was playing the games, just his puck possession game, his puck support both offensively and defensively (was good),” said Montgomery. “Where he has to grow is just defensively checking faster and that naturally has to become instantaneous, like his transition to offense is.”

Poitras may still look like a sapling amid the forest of redwoods at Bruins practice, but he did put on a few pounds of muscle onto his 5-foot-11 frame, thanks to the long rehab and strength training in the offseason. He said he’s felt a bump from it.

“I just felt better and better as the preseason had gone on. Obviously being a little bit older and having those first (33) games under my belt, the confidence just grows and grows. I’m more comfortable holding on to pucks and trying to make plays,” said Poitras.

“I feel stronger and faster. Obviously I’ll never be one of the strongest guys out there just because I’m not the biggest guy but I feel comfortable going into the corner with just about anybody.”

Having guys like the 6-foot-5 Brazeau and the 6-foot-3 Frederic skating on your line doesn’t hurt the confidence, either.

“We’ve got a lot of big boys on this team. Especially if I’m playing with Freddy and Braz, those guys can get in the corners and hold on to pucks so for me it’s just finding open ice. I’m not going to stay away from corners either, but it’s nice it have big boys out there,” said Poitras.

While creative players like Poitras have to hang on to the puck to do what they do best, he does have to learn how to avoid getting blown up. He believes it’s a matter of not getting fatigued.

“I think it comes down to shorter shifts. Once you stay out there 40-45 seconds, that’s when you get into trouble, when you’re tired and you’re not thinking as much and you put yourself in vulnerable positions,” said Poitras. “For me it’s just short shifts, keep my head up and scan the ice and make sure someone’s not coming down on me trying to make a big hit.”….

The pleasant surprise in the firs two games is that the Bruins have scored 10 goals. The troubling trend, if you can call it that yet, is that they’ve allowed 10, including several easy tap-ins. That hasn’t been the B’s historical identity nor was it what management was going for in the offseason.

While acknowledging that that cannot continue, Montgomery believes there are several different reasons for it.

“A lot of guys didn’t have enough reps in training camp. It’s not only newcomers but it’s veteran players that are on the ice when those backdoors are happening. So it’s a combination of that and there’s a lot of new players playing with different players,” said Montgomery. “And it’s early in the year…. I watched the night off on Wednesday night, there were two 6-0 (scores), 6-5 and 8-4 games. It’s early in the year. People are making a lot of defensive mistakes. Offensively, at the beginning of the year, everyone has a little more confidence because they’ve all been feeling the puck and they’re excited to show how much more they can show offensively. That typically happens. And then you see a pullback in goals goals scored. We, though, as a team, we’ve always prided ourselves on being a shutdown team. We’re very responsible without the puck. And that’s the area we feel our team needs to grow the most.”

Judging by the defense pairs in Friday’s practice, it appears that Mason Lohrei will go back in on a pairing with Andrew Peeke…

While the second line has shown energy at some points in the first two games – Brad Marchand has drawn three penalties, thee second line of Marchand-Charlie Coyle-Morgan Geekie has not yet gotten on the board. Montgomery is still evaluating the unit.

“I think it’s been good. It’s two games so it’s a little too early to tell. The way they started the (Montreal) game set the tone for me and they drew a penalty right away,” said Montgomery. “So far I’m happy with it, but I think there’s a lot more there.”