Jim Montgomery: Matthew Poitras Earned Right To ‘Stick Around’
Matthew Poitras entered Bruins training camp with one goal in mind — to make the NHL roster.
After competing in all but one of the Bruins’ six preseason games, including a back-to-back, head coach Jim Montgomery continued to be impressed by the 19-year-old center.
“He just seems to be in the right spots,” Montgomery told reporters after the Bruins win over the Rangers on Thursday night, per team-provided video. “He has the puck a lot because he’s always in the right support position and then when he gets the puck, he’s poised with the puck. He’s calm beyond his years.”
Poitras finished preseason play with three goals and two assists in five games. His time on ice was as high as 18:27 in the overtime loss to the Capitals and as low as 13:21 in the finale against the Rangers. He also put up solid numbers from the dot averaging above 50 percent over the five contests.
Was it enough for Montgomery not to send him back to juniors just yet?
“It certainly looks that way,” Montgomery said. “He’s earned the right to stick around for a while, that’s for sure.”
“For me, I think it’s just being comfortable,” Poitras said after the game. “And knowing that I can make plays out here and I can play out here. Having good confidence and knowing that I can have the ability to play at this level.”
Going from the Ontario Hockey League (OHL) to the NHL is a jump most teenagers can’t handle — especially given the amount and speed of the games.
“I’m confident in my ability when I came in (to camp),” Poitras said. “My goal was to try and make the Bruins. … I’ve had that dream throughout camp. I’m just gonna keep going with that, and hopefully, I’m getting on the roster.”
The Bruins can play Poitras in nine NHL games before deciding if he is ready for the NHL full-time. If they deem him not ready, he will have to return to the Guelph Storm for the remainder of the season without burning one of the years of his three-year entry-level contract. Due to his age and not having played four seasons in the OHL, Poitras is not eligible for the AHL.