Matt Poitras provides instant spark for Bruins in his anticipated return to NHL
"I think you could tell right away, it kind of energized our group."
Matt Poitras made the most of his two-month stint with the Providence Bruins.
As painful as it might be for any player to go from private charters across the continent to plodding bus rides down to Bridgeport or Utica, Poitras did not let an early-season demotion to the AHL ranks steer him off course.
More seasoning was required for the gifted Bruins forward, with top-six minutes and power-play reps guaranteed at that level.
After 23 games spent with the P-Bruins, Poitras spoke highly of the experience he gained as he began to stuff the stat sheet once again (eight goals, 12 assists). That production prompted Boston to finally call the 2022 second-round pick back up to the NHL ranks ahead of a home tilt with Tampa Bay.
“I just feel more comfortable as a player compared to when I went down,” Poitras acknowledged on Tuesday morning at Warrior Ice Arena. “I just feel better overall. I just like being on the ice. I kind of found that love for the game again and it just makes you feel better when you get on the ice every day.”
Poitras’s time in Providence was a necessary measure for Boston’s most promising prospect in order to get back on track.
If fortune favors both him and the Bruins, this winter will mark the only time he spends down in Providence for the foreseeable future.
Because with Boston in desperate need of a spark against the Lightning, it took Poitras less than five minutes to showcase the skill that makes him such a coveted talent on this roster.
The 20-year-old pivot capitalized in his first NHL contest since Nov. 9, setting up a Trent Frederic tally just 4:24 into the game to set the tone in an eventual 6-2 win.
“I was a little nervous for the game, so just seeing that one go in and making a play happen — obviously, it eases the tension a little bit,” Poitras acknowledged. “Great to see the puck go in the net.”
Poitras’ stat line on Tuesday (one assist, one shot on goal over 14:05 of ice time) may not be as impressive as some of his other teammates like David Pastrnak (one goal, two assists), Pavel Zacha (one goal, two assists), or Nikita Zadorov (one assist, four hits, three blocks).
But the timing of Poitras’ first-period set-up loomed large in a game where Boston jumped out to a four-goal cushion after just 36 minutes of play.
“There’s no doubt about it. You can see it right off the hop there,” Bruins interim head coach Joe Sacco said of Boston getting a boost from Poitras’ strong start. “Gets separation from his guy there … He uses his speed there.
“He uses his creativity to be able to hang on to that puck the way he did while that D was sliding, hang on to it, [gets it] by him, over to Freddy. And so it was a really good play. And I think you could tell right away, it kind of energized our group, too.”
Even with the expected growing pains at the NHL level as a result of Poitras’ 5-foot-11, 189-pound frame, it doesn’t take much to glean Poitras’ potential.
On a Bruins team woefully short on playmakers — especially further down the depth chart — the presence of a poised passer like Poitras could be a game-changer over the second half of the season.
Even if the Bruins aren’t going to be handing him the keys to a line with a potent sniper like Pastrnak (at least not now), a rejuvenated and confident Poitras could be the spark that gets slumping forwards like Frederic or Charlie Coyle going as Boston currently clings to a wild-card spot.
In a season where little has seemingly gone Boston’s way, Poitras’ sluggish start (while not entirely unexpected), further hindered a pivot pipeline that has taken on water in 2024-25 — despite Boston adding another proven forward in Elias Lindholm.
Yes, Boston remained afloat last season with a 1-2 punch down the middle of Zacha and Coyle.
But the Bruins might be at their best with Coyle exploiting matchups in a third-line role, Zacha shifting over to the wing with Pastrnak, and Lindholm tabbed as more of a second-line, shutdown center than a dominant playdriver.
It remains to be seen how Boston goes about finding another playmaking centerman who can allow those other forwards to fall into their proper places.
Poitras may not be that type of player yet, but the Bruins also won’t know that for sure if they don’t give him a shot to prove it in due time.
He still has a ways to go. But Tuesday was a solid start for one of the few slivers of optimism in what has otherwise been a dreary hockey season in Boston.
“It definitely gives me some confidence,” Poitras said of his performance. “I just need to try and do this every day — day in, day out — and string some consistency together.”
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