Cam Neely, Don Sweeney and Jim Montgomery don’t have to decide what to do with Matt Poitras by the end of the Boston Bruins’ four-game trip that begins Thursday’s night at San Jose, California.
But a trip of this length, this early in the season offers audition conditions that are hard to match. In addition to continued tests against NHL players, Poitras will face hostile crowds, jet lag, back-to-back games etc., real life-in-the-NHL conditions that will challenge his maturity as well as his skill.
Poitras, the 19-year-old rookie who opened eyes during training game, gets nine games to extend his bid to stick with the big club. He’s played two already. Four will be on this trip – Thursday at San Jose, Saturday at Los Angeles, Sunday at Anaheim and Tuesday at Chicago – leaving him three more games at home – Oct. 26 vs. Anaheim and Oct. 28 vs. Detroit, Oct. 30 vs. Florida – to leave a final impression.
It is an unusual set of rules. Poitras could play on the big club with the best players, but not the top minor league club with the next best players. He can play all of the preseason and 10.98% of the regular season before he either stays in the NHL or drops all the way back down to the Ontario Hockey League.
Poitras will likely get a chance to play with Brad Marchand on the trip as Montgomery had him between the Bruins’ captain and Morgan Geekie at practice on Monday. For Poitras, who has been someone who controls the puck himself on offense, playing with Marchand is both exciting and an adjustment.
“It’s exciting. I’ve had a great opportunity so far. I’m just going to keep working. I get to play alongside a world-class player so that’s pretty cool,” Poitras said. “He protects the puck really well and keeps plays alive. I’m going to try to find soft areas and support him in the offensive zone.”
Montgomery said pairing the rookie and the veteran was not part of some larger plan to either elevate or evaluate Poitras. The coach simply wanted to generate more 5-on-5 offense and liked the potential of him and Marchand together.
“(Poitras) has generated a lot of offense already. How’s he do with a real elite player like Marchand on his line?” Montgomery said. “I’ve really liked Geekie’s game. I want to see if there’s chemistry there offensively. I actually didn’t have that in the back of my mind. It makes sense. I wanted to give it more time the way the lines were set. I don’t think Poitras is going to get a favorable matchup with Marchand on his line, but if you’re going to play in the NHL you’re going to play against everybody.”
Marchand said the key for Poitras is to keep doing what he’s been doing with the same intensity and the same consistency.
“The biggest thing is to compete every day in practice and train the way we do here. That can take a toll on your body if you’re not used to it,” Marchand said. “The biggest thing for him is how he’s able to recover and continue to take care of himself. But when he gets on the ice, he’s a heckuva of a player and he definitely shows he belongs here. The biggest thing is consistency and showing up every night. He’s done that so far.”
Poitras’ willingness to be aggressive and clever with the puck helped him stand out during the preseason. He didn’t cower when facing NHL veterans.
“He seems to have the knowledge of the game. He’s not reluctant to put it in and go after it. He’s been very smart so far. That’s why he’s here right now,” Marchand said. “He dogs the puck. He’s not timid at all. He goes to the hard areas. If he loses it, he has that second had third effort to get it back. That’s typically what makes players really good in this game. As he continues to get older and stronger, that will benefit him more and more. I’m excited to see his potential and were he goes in his career. He’s got a lot of great attributes.”
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