Don Sweeney and the Boston Bruins are going to get Matt Poitras back from the 2024 World Juniors a lot earlier than they originally expected.
That’s because for the first time since 2019, and just the third time since the year 2000, Team Canada has come up massively short of their expectations with a quarterfinals-round exit from the annual tournament by way of their 3-2 loss to Czechia on Tuesday.
The loss came in heartbreaking fashion for the Canadians, too, with the game-winning goal for Czechia scored by Jakub Stancl with just 11 seconds remaining in the third period of what was a 2-2 game.
Oct 30, 2023; Boston, Massachusetts, USA; Boston Bruins center Matthew Poitras (51) takes a shot against the Florida Panthers during the first period at the TD Garden. (Brian Fluharty/USA TODAY Sports)
For the 19-year-old Poitras, his first run representing his country came to a close with two goals and four points in five games, which ranked third among all Canadian skaters in the tournament. Poitras also wore an ‘A’ as one of Canada’s alternate captains.
Naturally, Poitras took the loss especially hard.
“It’s the worst feeling in the world,” Poitras said following the loss (via TSN’s Mark Masters). “I feel like we left so much on the table. We had a great team. It’s really frustrating. I don’t know, it’s just the worst feeling in the world.
“I felt like I was gripping my stick too tight and, I don’t know, I couldn’t find the back of the net. So, I don’t know… it sucks. I feel like I let some of these guys down, let [the] country down. I feel like that.”
Fair or unfair, it’s always going to be ‘Gold or bust’ for Team Canada, so losing in the quarters is pretty much as bad as it gets.
LOS ANGELES, CALIFORNIA – OCTOBER 21: Matthew Poitras #51 of the Boston Bruins during warmups at Crypto.com Arena on October 21, 2023 in Los Angeles, California. (Ronald Martinez/Getty Images)
It’s also, again, much earlier than the Bruins themselves expected Poitras to be done with the tourney.
Speaking with reporters following the decision to loan Poitras to Team Canada, Sweeney said that his expectation was that Poitras would rejoin the club sometime during their road trip. Those travel plans have obviously changed, with Poitras instead on his way home before the Bruins have even started their two-game homestand with games against the Penguins on Thursday and Lightning on Saturday.
So, what does that mean for Poitras?
“Don’t know yet,” Bruins head coach Jim Montgomery admitted following Wednesday’s practice at Brighton’s Warrior Ice Arena. “I think he’s traveling back [Wednesday]. He won’t be an option for [Thursday]. And then we’ll start discussing [his] integration back into the lineup.”
Oct 22, 2023; Anaheim, California, USA; Bruins center Matthew Poitras (51) celebrates with teammates after scoring a game tying goal during the third period against the Ducks at Honda Center. (Kiyoshi Mio-USA TODAY Sports)
It’ll be interesting to see what the Bruins do to tinker with their roster once Poitras is ready to return to the lineup, though, especially with Georgii Merkulov currently with the club on his first NHL recall. The Bruins have also seen some strong contributions from their new-look third line with Trent Frederic between James van Riemsdyk and Danton Heinen, and may want to give that line a deeper look before throwing Poitras back into the mix.
The Bruins could in theory bring Poitras back into the fold without demoting Merkulov back down to Providence, as the Bruins would have two healthy scratches up front and one on the backend.
Poitras, who made the team out of training camp, has posted five goals and 13 points, along with 38 shots and 15 blocks, in 27 games with the Bruins this season.
And his 2023-24 future will remain in the NHL, too, as Sweeney noted that Poitras would return to the Bruins following the conclusion of the World Juniors, not return to OHL Guelph.
HALIFAX, CANADA – JANUARY 04: Dans Locmelis #11 of Team Latvia skates after celebrating his goal with teammates during the second period against Team Austria in the relegation round of the 2023 IIHF World Junior Championship at Scotiabank Centre on January 4, 2023 in Halifax, Nova Scotia, Canada. (Minas Panagiotakis/Getty Images)
And in non-Poitras news as it relates to the Bruins and the World Juniors, it was yet another strong showing from Dans Locmelis on the international stage.
Captaining Team Latvia, the 2022 fourth-round pick finished the tournament with two goals and five points in five games, and scored both of those goals in Latvia’s elimination game against the United States.
Dans Locmelis cuts the US lead to 1 goal!#WorldJuniors pic.twitter.com/KNXJXqNrj7
— TSN (@TSN_Sports) January 2, 2024The 19-year-old Locmelis will return to UMass-Amherst, where he’s put four goals and an assist through 12 games with the Minutemen.
