BOSTON — When the Boston Bruins were bounced from the playoffs by the eventual Stanley Cup champion Florida Panthers, coach Jim Montgomery lamented the lack of scoring from his team in the series.

“You can’t win every game 2-1,” said the downcast Montgomery at the time.

Well, it looks like they may have to win some more 2-1 games in 2024-25. But at least now they should be more equipped to do so.

Leaning into their historical identity, the B’s shored up the middle of the ice by signing two-way centerman Elias Lindholm and then added beef on the back end with 6-foot-6, 250-pound defenseman Nikita Zadorov.

As is often the case on Day One of free agency, the prices were steep but, in the B’s situation this summer, not prohibitive. Lindholm signed for seven years at an average annual value of $7.75 million while Zadorov signed for six years at $5 million AAV.

Lindholm and Zadorov are not Patrice Bergeron and Zdeno Chara, but it’s hard not see the organizational lineage.

“To have those two targets in the areas that we had identified independently with our scouting staff and coaches and merging with what they would like to see in players coming here, I’m checking off the box for two guys that acknowledged what our culture is and what our intentions are and want to come and join that,” said GM Don Sweeney, who was also excited by the more modest signing of forward Max Jones (two years at $1 million AAV).

“Max has been an intriguing player, not just because of where he was drafted (24th overall in 2016) but the size of the player (6-foot-3, 215), the forecheck, the ability to possess pucks. He’s shown a willingness to get to the net. Can he finish a little more if he’s pushed up the lineup? That’s what we’re going to find out.”

Picking up a strong two-way centerman who can play both the power play and the penalty kill, put up points of his own and facilitate for a player like David Pastrnak was key for Sweeney. He lauded the seasons that Charlie Coyle and Pavel Zacha had in taking over for the retired Bergeorn and David Krejci last year. And he spoke of the promise of young center Matt Poitras.

But Sweeney also conceded that there was slippage at the position in the playoffs, enough that he had to make a major acquisition in Lindhholm, for whom Sweeney conceded he was on the hunt for two years.

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