Bruins’ Matthew Poitras Plans Not To Let Up, Continue To Play With ‘Pressure’
Matthew Poitras had one goal in mind when he entered the Boston Bruins training camp ahead of the centennial season — to make the full-time jump to the NHL.
Following a solid camp and preseason play, Poitras was given a nine-game audition which he passed and the club announced the 19-year-old would not be going back to the Guelph Storm, his junior team in the OHL.
He may be staying, but for Poitras, the audition is ongoing in his mind.
“I’m still going to try to play with the pressure and play with the mindset that I’m trying to make the team,” Poitras told reporters following practice at Warrior Ice Arena on Wednesday, per team-provided video. “I’m trying to still stick around here for the rest of the year. Just because I’m playing in my tenth game doesn’t mean I’m gonna be here for the rest of the year.”
Poitras said he plans to continue to focus on the details of his game that has kept him in Boston so far.
“Playing each game and feeling more comfortable,” Poitras said. “Getting the idea where I want to make a small play here and there. … Maybe I do have a little more time and space. A little more poise, then I kind of play my game and create offense which I do best.”
The 19-year-old rookie hasn’t made very many mistakes this season, but he did have a turnover which resulted in a goal for the Florida Panthers in the Bruins’ overtime win against their Eastern Conference rival on Monday night.
“It was a tough turnover,” Poitras said. “But I also felt like I was gonna make the right play. … For me it was just keep playing with confidnece. DOn;t want to let one msitake affect my game.”
Poitras said his teammates and Bruins head coach Jim Montgomery were supportive of him when he got back to the bench, reassuring him he would make the right play and to not let a bad play get him down.
While Poitras had mainly been playing on the third line, Montgomery moved him to the first line to center David Pastrnak and Pavel Zacha on Monday night and according to WEEI’s Scott McLaughlin the trio was reunited at practice on Wednesday.