WILMINGTON, Mass. -- After practice on Tuesday, Tyler Seguin seemed like a seasoned veteran, joking about his playoff beard and talking about the Bruins' upcoming series with the Washington Capitals. In just his second season in the NHL, Seguin is looking for his second Stanley Cup championship.

After leading the team in points (67) and goals (29) this season, Seguin enters the playoffs as a key component in the Bruins' game plan.

It is a vastly different position than Seguin was in at this time a year ago, when he didn't know if he'd even crack the Bruins' lineup during the playoffs. Seguin didn't play in the team's first 11 playoffs games, sitting out all seven against the Canadiens and all four against the Flyers. Seguin finally cracked the lineup in Game 1 of the Eastern Conference championships against the Lightning because Patrice Bergeron was out of the lineup with a concussion.

Tyler Seguin got to kiss the Stanley Cup in his first season in the NHL. Brian Babineau/NHLI/Getty Images

This week, a relaxed yet excited Seguin was asked if he could recall what he was feeling last year. He just shook his head and smiled.

"Just if I was going to be playing and how I was going to contribute if I wasn't going to be on the ice," Seguin recalled Tuesday. "It's a lot different this year and I definitely like it better when I can contribute on the ice for sure. It's night and day. I didn't know what to expect or how I'd be. I didn't know how the guys would be around the rink or on the ice. It was good to get around the rink and see the focus."

In Seguin's rookie season, Bruins coach Claude Julien and his staff tried to ease the No. 2 overall pick into the mental and physical rigors of being an NHL player. Seguin had an up-and-down season, finishing with just 22 points in 74 games and was on the outside looking in as the playoffs began. It was a difficult time for Seguin, and Bergeron can remember trying to help his teammate keep his head up and stay even-keeled during the playoffs. Although he didn't have the expectations that Seguin arrived with, Bergeron came into the NHL as an 18-year-old rookie, so he could relate to Seguin and did his best to help.

"We [Bergeron and other teammates] were all trying to tell him: 'You gotta learn the ropes and it's not easy sometimes but that's the evolution of becoming a pro,' and I think he was frustrated for sure but he soaked it up and learned from it," said Bergeron, who has teamed with Seguin and Brad Marchand to form the Bruins' most consistent line this season. "I think he understood that and when he was called upon he did the job. Look at what he did against Tampa ... I thought he played well. Maybe it wasn't showing on the score sheet but he was trying hard out there."

What Seguin did against Tampa Bay in the Eastern Conference finals was one of the more memorable highlights of the Bruins' Cup run. With Bergeron out with a concussion to start the series, Julien turned to Seguin and the rookie delivered. After notching a goal and an assist in a 5-2 loss in Game 1, Seguin showed his skill and poise in Game 2, leading the Bruins to a 6-5 win with two goals and an assist. Seguin would get just one assist in his next 11 games, but winning the Stanley Cup overshadowed any frustration Seguin might have had, and Bergeron believes the experience helped him blossom this season.

"Winning the Stanley Cup in your rookie season is something you can't teach so that was a huge experience for him," Bergeron said. "That's something that is going to help him a lot now in the playoffs the second time around. I think he's been handling himself well all season. He's still young and still learning but he's handled the ups and downs well and that was part of it. He knows what he must do to succeed and help the team and I think he's done that."