BOSTON — The Bruins didn’t necessarily need to plug forward Matthew Poitras back into the lineup Saturday, but they wanted a different look and decided to roll the dice on the 20-year-old.
Poitras made sure to reward that decision, as he was the primary difference between a win and a loss.
The B’s found themselves on the winning end of an overtime matchup with the Los Angeles Kings at TD Garden, as David Pastrnak tucked home the game-winner on a play that was started by a pair of young teammates — including Poitras.
“It was a great job by Potsy,” Pastrnak told reporters following the game. “He made a couple of great plays… I think he’s a great player, and we haven’t seen him play a meaningful game in a long time so we were all happy to see him come back. It’s incredible how strong on the puck he is for his size, he’s so impressive at that and that’s what sticks out about him the most.”
Poitras’ ability to hold onto pucks stood out almost immediately, as his placement in the lineup — alongside a pair of bruisers like Trent Frederic and Justin Brazeau — created an advantage for the Black and Gold. It’s something that was designed by the coaching staff, but even they didn’t see that level of performance coming.
“Matty Poitras, for his first game back in eight months, was special,” Bruins head coach Jim Montgomery said postgame. “I thought that was the best game he’s played as an NHL player, including some two goal games last year. You can see how hard he worked in the offseason, and you saw his strength in skating throughout whole shifts. It’s a significant difference from last year, so when he has the stamina to stay on the ice long he’ll have the chance to make plays.”
It’s easy to ignore the fact their was doubt cast over Poitras heading into the season. Can he stay healthy? Is there a spot for him in Boston? Does the club have time to wait for him to develop?
The Bruins answered some of those questions by finding a nice spot for the sophomore forward, as he’s back to playing his natural position and is working alongside two guys who can alleviate some of the damage he took in his rookie season. Boston doesn’t want to play in too many extra periods, but the grouping of Poitras-Pastrnak-Mason Lohrei sure did look good together, which should lead to more time together in the future.
Poitras, though, was the star of the show Saturday.
“He’s well prepared,” Pastrnak said. “He’s playing amazing.”
