Ames: Unlikely leaders stepped up for the Bruins during the last three games

In a normal season, losing two games in a row isn't all that uncommon, but this is anything but a normal season for the Bruins.

After their disappointing loss to the Blackhawks on March 14, it was fair to wonder if bad habits and started to creep into the B's game. Their power play had looked discombobulated, the top line seemed to be forcing too many plays and team defense had allowed the opposition to secure 11 goals in two games.

But those concerns were quickly put to rest after the Bruins rattled off three straight wins, with its latest coming against the Sabres with a 7-0 drubbing on Sunday.

While guys like Patrice Bergeron, David Pastrnak and Brad Marchand all played well during the B's road trip resurgence, it was Trent Frederic, Charlie Coyle and Jeremy Swayman who guided the Bruins back from the unknown.

Frederic scored a couple of big goals, Coyle showcased his ability to turn the tide in the B's favor, while Swayman played perfect hockey in his two starts in net.

Starting in Winnipeg on Thursday, an early goal from Frederic put the B's in a good position the rest of the night. The Bruins didn't start well in their two losses to the Red Wings and Blackhawks, so their first-period play was a focus the rest of the trip and Frederic scored 50 seconds into the game against the Jets to ensure the Bruins would not be behind the eight-ball in that one.

Then against the Wild, Frederic tallied the last goal of the game and sealed the B's 5-2 win with an empty-netter. It was a bit of a wacky game as the Wild had two goals taken off the board after the Bruins won two offside challenges, but Frederic's late strike put the exclamation mark on the victory.

While the game was all but secured against the Sabres, Frederic dished out an assist on Coyle's goal in the third period to wrap up a strong trip for the 25-year-old.

Coyle's game shined the most against his former team on Saturday with one assist and a plethora of offensive chances.

Per Boston.com's Conor Ryan, Coyle's line had more shot attempts (12-3), shots on goal (7-0), and high-danger chances (2-0) in 9:55 of 5-on-5 ice time. Head coach Jim Montgomery was especially impressed with Coyle's performance.

"He was just a manchild out there," Montgomery said on NESN after the game. "It looked like a grown man playing against peewees sometimes."

On Sunday, Coyle was rewarded for his exceptional play with a goal and assist for his first multi-point game since March 4 against the Rangers. Coyle finished a +2 with two shots in 17:56 of ice time.

Swayman was probably the most impressive of the bunch with 62 combined saves in his last two appearances while earning his third and fourth shutouts of the season in the process.

While Linus Ullmark has earned much of the praise and recognition this season, Swayman has been great as the 'backup' option. The former Maine Black Bear has compiled a 17-6-4 record with a 2.28 goals-against average and .917 save percentage. 

Swayman has the third-best GAA and the seventh-best SV% numbers in the league while Ullmark has led in both categories virtually all season.

The Sabres didn't offer much of a challenge for Swayman, but the Anchorage, Alaska native still made the saves he needed to make, leading to a satisfying postgame snack for the goaltender.

The Bruins have been such a force this season because their team is loaded with talent top to bottom and the B's proved that during their turnaround stretch over the last three games.