Bruins rookies Mason Lohrei and Johnny Beecher scored their first career goals just minutes apart

BOSTON -- The Bruins' youth movement is already paying dividends in the young season. Matt Poitras has owned a lot of the spotlight to start the season, but fellow rookies Johnny Beecher and Mason Lohrei stepped into it Monday night in Dallas.

Both scored their first career NHL goals on Monday, leading Boston to a 3-2 victory over the Stars in Dallas. The rookies tallied their goals in the first period, lighting the lamp less than four minutes apart to give the Bruins an early lead at American Airlines Arena. 

Beecher, 22, got the scoring started at the midway point of the opening frame. The 2019 first-round pick took a feed from Hampus Lindholm and circled around the blue line before snapping off a mean wrister from inside the right wing circle to beat Dallas' Jake Oettinger. He was immediately swarmed by his Boston teammates after giving the B's a 1-0 lead.

Beecher was expecting his first goal to be a little unconventional, something that went in off a knee pad or off a deflection. But he'll gladly take a filthy wrister for his first NHL tally.

"Obviously, I've dreamt of that since I was a kid growing up," Beecher said after the game. "Getting the first one out of the way is huge for me. Get some confidence going forward."

Beecher, who scored in his 12th NHL game, got the puck and said that he'd likely be giving it to his parents.

"I wouldn't be here without them," said Beecher. 

That isn't the only puck from Monday night that will end up in the possession of family. Lohrei got in on the scoring fun just a few minutes after Beecher, snapping a 35-footer through traffic to give Boston a 2-0 advantage. 

"Unbelievable. You work your whole life to be here and you always dream about scoring your first goal, so pretty cool to check that one off the list," Lohrei said after scoring in just his third NHL game.

That puck will be going to his father, who made the trip from Madison, Wisconsin and was in the stands Monday night to see his son net his first NHL goal.

"Ever since I went to juniors, I scored my first goal and gave him the puck," said Lohrei. "Same thing in college [at Ohio State], now this one will go to him too."

A reporter joked with Lohrei that his father will likely sell the piece of memorabilia on eBay. 

"Yeah, probably," Lohrei said with a smile. "Make a little extra cash."

A goal by captain Brad Marchand at the 9:51 mark of the third period gave the Bruins some wiggle room at 3-1, and goalie Jeremy Swayman was the big star of Monday night with 35 saves in net. He improved to 6-0-0 with his best performance of the year, and the Bruins now sit at 10-1-1 on the season.

But the two young guns got it all started for Boston in a tough road setting. Neither minded sharing the spotlight after a big Bruins victory.

"He had to steal my thunder a little bit, I guess" Beecher joked of Lohrei's goal. "I'm super happy for him. He's playing amazing and we needed guys to come up, fill roles and play their game. He's been great for us and I couldn't be happier."

The Bruins and their youngsters will look to keep rolling Thursday night when they host the New York Islanders at TD Garden.