Matthew Poitras on scoring his first NHL goal, ‘it’s pretty surreal’
Bruins rookie forward Matthew Poitras’s NHL career is off to a hot start. The 19-year-old punched his ticket as a bona fide NHL player with his two goal performance on Sunday night.
Poitras showed that as a teenager, he is undoubtedly belongs in the NHL.
With the Bruins five games into the new season (5-0-0), Poitras is still on a nine-game audition to remain with Boston. The young star’s two third-period goals to help propel the Black and Gold their fifth straight victory will help keep him around much longer.
The Bruins looked sluggish over the first 40 minutes of the hockey game. Coming off a win on Saturday night versus the Kings, Boston looked tired.
After a Mason MacTavish goal in the third period to give the Ducks a 1-0 lead, the Bruins looked rip for the pickings. Instead, a backhanded pass from Morgan Geekie to Poitras tied the game 1-1 and the B’s never looked back.
“It’s pretty surreal,” said Poitras postgame. “Just seeing the puck go in the net, I was really excited. I don't really know what I did. I kind of blacked out a little bit. But super excited and super happy. It's a surreal feeling.”
The exuberant Poitras added his second goal, firing the frozen biscuit past John Gibson, a little more than just four minutes later. Both of his goals were a result of being in front of the net and jumping on top of opportunities presented.
The playmaking rookie is erasing any doubts on whether he can play at the highest level. With the Bruins roster open for players to step up and seize opportunities for playing time, Poitras poise and readiness is showing on a nightly basis.
“If you're going to produce in this league, you got to be willing to play inside the dots,” said Jim Montgomery to reporters in Anaheim. “And that's what I love about [Poitras] is whether it's 1-on-1 battles in the corners or getting to the hard areas, he's willing to go to areas where you're gonna have success.
“He's a hockey player, he competes. He believes in himself. He's always looking to hang on to pucks and make plays that are going to produce offense. I think it's instinct. I think he has a nose for the puck, the puck kind of follows him around and that's what happens with guys that are good offensive hockey players, they got a nose for where the puck's going.”
If Poitras continues to develop into a top-6 player for the Bruins, it will allow general manager Don Sweeney to turn his attention to other areas on the roster as the team moves deeper into the regular season.
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