Brett Connolly didn’t have much luck in hockey. He spent several seasons in the Tampa Bay organization, but was never able to find a niche that allowed him to play serious minutes for the Lightning. He got traded to the Boston Bruins, but broke his finger in his second practice with the B’s. This caused him to play only five games for a team that had failed to make the playoffs for the first time in eight seasons.

If the preseason is any indication of how this season will look, then Brett Connolly is finally finding his stride with the Boston Bruins. He is developing into a solid third line winger for the B’s. Connolly was able to find the net twice in the preseason for the Black and Gold against the New York Rangers.

“It’s always nice to get on the scoreboard. I wanted to get one before we get into the regular season, and I was fortunate to get a couple. It’s good to build that confidence before the season starts,” said Connolly. “It was good to come in here, and have a good training camp after a good summer of training off the ice. I’ve put the year I had last year behind me, and I’m getting a fresh start. So I’m excited for that.”

He’s made some serious chemistry with his new linemates Ryan Spooner and Jimmy Hayes. They are expected to be the B’s third line on opening night next Thursday. While the fans have already seen flashes of offensive brilliance from the trio, the 23-year old forward knows they’re still a work in progress.

“We’re getting there. There’s still some systems work we’ve got to get down pat. We’re kind of running around a little bit in the neutral zone and the D-zone,” said Connolly. “But I think for the most part offensively we’re starting to learn each other’s tendencies, and finding where each other is on the ice. We’ve been getting better every day, we’re excited to play with each other and get things going.”

We’ll see how well things are going when the Boston Bruins open up their 2015-16 season as they take on the Winnipeg Jets Thursday night at the TD Garden.