Your water-cooler question after the Black and Gold played their first preseason game of the season Tuesday night: Who was the last Bruin to play on TD Garden ice before Tuesday?

That would be rookie goaltender Zane McIntyre, who played the second half of Tuesday’s 1-1 regulation final over the Washington Capitals. David Pastrnak put Boston up at 8:16 of the final period before Washington pulled even a minute later.

McIntyre’s regulation log ended with nine saves and the one goal allowed.

When the lights dimmed on the 2014-15 season after the Bruins were eliminated from post-season play, the NCAA spotlight took center stage for the Frozen Four at TD Garden with Nebraska-Omaha, Providence College, Boston University and North Dakota vying for the championship.

The Providence Friars would prevail in the final game of the college season with a scintillating 4-3 win over BU on April 11. But two nights before in the semifinal game between BU and North Dakota, it was McIntyre, the Bruins’ 2010 draft pick, who played a pivotal role against BU in the second semifinal game.

Sporting a 29-10-3 and a 2.05 GAA, the Hobey Baker Hat Trick finalist — along with BU’s Jack Eichel and Harvard’s Jimmy Vesey — as well as named the (Mike) Richter Award recipient that goes to the NCAA’s top goaltender, came up short in getting that 30th victory and a ticket to the final when BU prevailed, 5-3.

Eichel would capture college hockey’s top individual award the next day.

“That was not so great a memory the last time we were here. Now it’s the next chapter in my life,” he said standing the Bruins’ dressing room that was also used by North Dakota in April.

That was then for the 23-year-old McIntyre — and last night was now. Adorning No. 50, his pinch-me moment started at 9:43 of the second period after Malcolm Subban did his thing in a 17-save, shutout effort over 30 minutes.

“It took some time to settle in but it was fun,” McIntyre said after his first pro debut. “Everything I imagined and then some, especially with the pressing in the third.”

The Bruins rookie also earned the distinction of being the first goalie in team history to play in the NHL’s new OT format of five-minute 3-on-3. Regardless of the final score in regulation, the league designated the post-game as a practice session for the new format.

Former North Dakota goalie Zane McIntyre returned to the TD Garden ice on Tuesday and stopped nine of 10 shots in the Bruins’ 2-1 preseason OT win over the Capitals on Tuesday. (Photo Credit: Joe Makarski/Bruins Daily)

As it turned out, McIntyre also earned the “W” when just 12 seconds into OT, Pastrnak and Krejci went in 2-on-1 with Pastrnak launching a rocket past Washington’s Philipp Grubauer for the 2-1 final.

“It was pretty crazy,” McIntyre said about the new OT format. “We got a taste of 3-on-3 in the rookie tournament. It’s a different animal that’s for sure. The odd-man rushes are going to be huge. It’s going to be a critical piece of the standings”

Bidding to become the backup to Tuukka Rask this season, The Grand Forks, North Dakota, native faces stiff competition from Subban, Mathew Ginn, Dan Vladar, and front-runners Jonas Gustavsson and Jeremy Smith.

“Pushing each other is good,” he said about the logjam in net. “We’re all human beings. So it’s good we’re helping each other out.”

With one dream-come-true Tuesday night, it stands to reason that McIntyre’s next is likely to be the last Bruin on TD Garden ice at the end of this season.

“I’ve been doing this for 10-15 years now,” McIntyre quipped. “Keep moving forward.”