Matt Poitras wasted little time in making a strong impression on Boston Bruins management, in his attempt to win a spot on the 2023-2024 team roster at the tender age of 19. The young center’s preseason performance in those half dozen games proved to be outstanding, posting three goals to go along with a pair of assists, and consistently stood his ground in the faceoff circle, winning more than half of his faceoff attempts. With the Bruins in need of help at the center position, having lost veterans Patrice Bergeron and David Krejci to retirement, Poitras showed on many occasions that he could be the man (boy) they were looking for. Poitras made his NHL debut yesterday (Wednesday at press time), as the Bruins took on the Chicago Blackhawks in TD Garden, to begin their celebration of their Centennial Season. The Blackhawks roster contained the Number One NHL draft pick, another teenager, 18-year-old Connor Bedard, who has already scored his first NHL point with an assist in Tuesday’s win over Pittsburgh. Earlier this week the Bruins held Media Day, and a chance to talk with Poitras and get his feelings prior to playing his first NHL game. The initial question to Poitras was regarding his excitement about making the Bruins’ roster. Poitras responded: “For me, I just tell myself I know I belong here, and I believe I can play at this level. So I’m just gonna be confident and play my game and not try and do too much, Not go out of character and do things that haven’t helped me get here.” When pressed about him possibly hearing comments on social media regarding himself, he was poised and stated: “I’m just trying to take everything in stride and trying not to get inside my head too much, or my head get too big.” A reference was made as to his feelings as to if he felt he earned the right to be a prominent player with the Bruins. He confidently responded: “I think I can come in here and try to make an impact. I know the kind of player I am. I’ve worked hard and earned my chance to start up here, just try to work hard every day and stay up here.”
When he was asked if he had set any goals for himself, his answer was mature and honest: “For me it’s, just taking it every day like one step at a time. I’m not going to approach it like goals and points. I’m just going on the ice keeping my game simple and worry about the small details. The game up here is faster and things happen a bit more quicker, so for me it’s being in good position and try and have a good stick and keeping it simple.” The final inquiry was if he was going to be able to contain the excitement prior to playing his first NHL game (yesterday), Poitras replied: “I’m pretty excited, not trying to think too much about it, you know, before I go to bed thinking about something like that, I won’t be able to sleep, so I’m just trying to take it day by day and when Wednesday (yesterday) comes I’ll be ready.” This young man is confident, and he will be eligible to play in nine regular season games before the Bruins have to make the decision as to whether they keep Poitras around, or send him back to the OHL.
The Bruins will close out their brief two-game homestand on Saturday (10/14 @ 7:00pm) when they host the Nashville Predators on TD Garden ice. They will enjoy a few days respite, before beginning a West Coast road trip, that includes the San Jose Sharks on Thursday (10/19 @ 10:30pm), and continuing with stops in Los Angeles, Anaheim, and ending in Chicago. That road trip will give the Bruins players an excellent chance to bond with the many new faces on their current roster.