Bruins’ Matthew Poitras gets biggest opportunity yet against Maple Leafs
BOSTON — The Boston Bruins are still looking for an offensive spark in the top-six, and they’re turning to their most promising young forward to get it.
Matthew Poitras will line up at right wing on Saturday night against the Toronto Maple Leafs, next to Brad Marchand and Charlie Coyle. Poitras’ veteran linemates have been slow to get going on the scoresheet, with just one goal and four assists between Marchand and Coyle over eight games. Head coach Jim Montgomery is looking to ignite that second line offensively with the insertion of the quick, skilled Poitras into the top-six.
Oh, and no pressure, kid. But he’s getting this opportunity against the Maple Leafs, whose games he attended while growing up near Toronto.
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“He continues to make plays,” Montgomery said on Poitras Saturday. “We’re trying to find the right balance on lines, and it’s an opportunity for him. He’s playing against the Toronto Maple Leafs. He’s from just outside Toronto. So, it’s a great opportunity. Everybody that knows him, that’s ever been associated with him since he was seven years old, in hockey, is going to be watching him play against the Maple Leafs. So, that’s a great opportunity for him.”
When on the ice at five-on-five, Poitras leads the Bruins with a shot attempt percentage (Corsi) of 56.2%, and an expected goals percentage (xGF) of 72.1% (via Natural Stat Trick). And that’s come while mostly playing a third-line role, with a revolving door of linemates. But it’s been clear lately that when he’s on the wing, and there’s less on his plate in terms of the two-way responsibilities that come at center, he’s been able to make things happen with his combination of speed, skill, and smarts.
Poitras’ anticipation and playmaking have been standout traits in the early part of the season. That showed up in Thursday’s loss to the Dallas Stars, when he drove behind the net and intercepted a D-to-D pass to set up David Pastrnak for the Bruins’ first goal of the night. The 20-year-old Poitras has been working with the coaching staff to maintain a balance between playing fast and aggressive, and not trying to do too much.
“It’s just being more simple, not being stubborn and always trying to make a play,” Poitras said Saturday. “Obviously there’s still some habits I need to cut out of my game. Obviously it’s the highest level and guys are really good and they’re going to read some of the stuff I’m trying to do. So, just be more direct, put pucks behind the net, and keep building.”
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There will certainly be a focus on pucks deep in the zone and forechecking for Poitras alongside Marchand and Coyle. But the hope is that his offensive flair can flint the fire for a second line that desperately needs to produce.
“It would be great having a younger guy with his legs and having him skate up and down the ice, so I don’t have to as much,” Coyle said of Poitras. “He’s so smart, his game’s only going to grow and grow as he gets more games under his belt, practices, and as he learns the pro game a little more up here and gets more confidence in himself. But you can tell he already has it, it’s just doing it consistently and having the reps and having your teammates encourage you to do that. We all need that, right?
“Potsy’s a great kid, he’s always willing to learn, and has a great attitude, and he’s got game to bring. So, we’re excited to play with a guy like that.”
It’s an interesting spot for Poitras to pull that off against the Maple Leafs, with a lot of eager eyes on him. It’ll be intriguing to see how the precocious forward responds.
Matt Dolloff is a writer and digital content producer for 98.5 The Sports Hub. Read all of his articles here.
Penalties continue to bite Bruins as losses start to pile up
Aren’t the Boston Bruins sick of that seat in the penalty box?
At this point, there’s got to be a big ass groove in that bench, as one of the league’s biggest teams continues to also be one of the most undisciplined. The B’s racked up 10 more penalty minutes on Thursday night, and they spend less actual time in the sin bin, because the Dallas Stars made them pay with three power play goals, all in a back-breaking second period.
Bruins captain Brad Marchand and head coach Jim Montgomery spoke earlier on Thursday about the importance of simply playing faster and more aggressively and tolerating “good” penalties, and avoiding bad ones. Marchand’s high-sticking infraction came in the midst of a gritty puck battle, so you can live with that. But his needless, not-subtle-enough cross-check away from the play? Can’t have it.
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“We’ve got to get back to playing the right way for 60 minutes and doing the right things all the time and understanding that success is hard, and we need to play a hard game to win,” Marchand said after the game. “That’s how we’ve always won, and we just need to get back to that.”
David Pastrnak’s hooking penalty just 11 seconds into the second period was the epitome of the kind that the Bruins should be trying to eliminate. He falls a step behind a puck-carrier, and tries to do too much with his stick in a desperate attempt to play catch-up. Naturally, the puck was behind Jeremy Swayman 12 seconds later, and the Stars never looked back. Pastrnak later took a tripping penalty in the offensive zone, leading to yet another power play goal, which ultimately put the game out of reach.
“I honestly can’t remember taking this many penalties in my career,” said Pastrnak, who is up to 14 penalty minutes through eight games, second-most on the team. “Definitely bad on my part. I can’t put the team in a shorthanded situation twice in one game. So, yeah, I definitely took too many penalties today and definitely got to take care of my stick.”
Poitras gets ‘comfortable’ at wing
Oct 24, 2024; Boston, Massachusetts, USA; Boston Bruins center Matthew Poitras (51) and Dallas Stars defenseman Esa Lindell (23) chase after the puck during the third period at TD Garden. (Bob DeChiara-Imagn Images)
One of the few Bruins who managed to be an overall positive on the night was second-year forward Matthew Poitras, who logged an assist with a plus-1. He seemed to get the message from Montgomery on playing aggressive, fast, and fearless, as he set up the first Boston goal of the night by driving hard behind the net and intercepting a D-to-D pass during 4-on-4 action.
Poitras played a third-line right wing role, which allows him to simplify his game and play faster than he would playing center. The Bruins need offensive production wherever they can get it, so putting one of their fastest, most skilled players in a more scoring-focused spot seems like the right move at the moment.
“Obviously the wing is a bit more simple, and I felt comfortable there,” Poitras said after the game. “Obviously throughout the game there’s a few plays I’d like to have back. But, I felt pretty comfortable making plays, coming back on pucks, and just possessing.”
Montogmery continually puts the Bruins’ lines in a blender, so it’s a wonder where Poitras will line up from game to game. He should be a center in the long-term, but right now, it would be wise to keep him at wing and turn him loose offensively.
Brazeau responds well after benching
Oct 24, 2024; Boston, Massachusetts, USA; Boston Bruins right wing Justin Brazeau (55) tries to tuck the puck past Dallas Stars goaltender Casey DeSmith (1) while defenseman Miro Heiskanen (4) defends during the third period at TD Garden. Mandatory Credit: Bob DeChiara-Imagn Images
Montgomery has had mixed results in his efforts to spark players by scratching them for a game and re-inserting them, but the move worked wonders for Justin Brazeau. The towering winger cashed in on a Bruins power play in the second period, which helped keep a potential laugher interesting.
The goal was Brazeau’s first of the season, and only his second point in six games. He wasn’t the first player to be benched for a lack of production, but others sent to the standing-room-only section haven’t responded so well.
The Bruins had a team-high 78.6% five-on-five shot attempt rate with Brazeau on the ice Thursday night (13-3). The winger has certainly earned himself a chance to stay in the lineup with his effort against the Stars.
A historic struggle
Oct 24, 2024; Boston, Massachusetts, USA; Dallas Stars center Matt Duchene (95) reacts with center Tyler Seguin (91) and defenseman Thomas Harley (55) after scoring a goal during the first period against the Boston Bruins at TD Garden. Mandatory Credit: Bob DeChiara-Imagn Images
The Bruins are merely one game under .500 in terms of wins and losses, but considering how hot they’ve started in recent years, it feels like an epic slog. The B’s lost their season opener for just the second time since losing the first game of the 2018-19 season opener six years ago, and have yet to gain consistent momentum.
And while it may still be severely early, this is the latest into the season that the B’s have been sub-.500 since 2017, when they fell to 6-7-4 after a loss to the Ducks on Nov. 15. The B’s, under Bruce Cassidy at the time, would finish that season 50-20-12, which alone is proof that eight games is too soon to write a team off.
But for the Bruins to have more losses than wins even this “late” into the campaign is jarring. And the more the losses continue to pile up, the more the heat could be turned up on Montgomery.
