The time may have come for Matt Poitras to find some permanent digs in Boston.
The 19-year-old rookie has been trying to prove that he belongs in the National Hockey League instead of back with his Canadian junior team in Guelph, and he made the best case possible on Sunday night in Anaheim.
Poitras scored his first two career goals in the third period to lift the B’s to a 3-1 come-from-behind win over the Ducks in Anaheim. Linus Ullmark continued his stellar early season play by stopping 30-of-31 shots and the B’s improved to 5-0, their best start since the 1937-38 season.
While no official decision has been made — the B’s have four more games to decide whether to burn the first year of the teenager’s entry level deal — it’s looking more and more like Poitras’ days with the Guelph Storm are done. Poitras struggled in his first game of this road trip in San Jose but he’s bounced back impressively in the two wins in southern California.
“He’s a hockey player. He competes, he believes in himself, he’s always looking to hang on to pucks to make plays that are going to produce offense,” coach Jim Montgomery told reporters in Anaheim. “I think he has a nose for the puck. The puck kind of follows him around and that’s what happens with guys who are good offensive hockey players. They’ve got a nose for where the puck’s going.”
Before Poitras struck, it appeared the game was getting away from the B’s.
The Ducks had broken a scoreless tie at 5:05 of the third period off the rush. Kevin Shattenkirk got caught trying to pinch and the Ducks were off to the races. Eventually, Mason MacTavish cleaned a up a Ryan Strome pass on a 2-on-1.
But the B’s tied it up just 1:24 later on a momentous goal. Poitras had been the B’s most creative player from the second period on .But at 6:29, he was the recipient of a sweet feed. Off a good cross-ice pass from Ian Mitchell, Morgan Geekie took the puck in deep on his off wing and made a pretty backhand pass to Poitras, who deposited his first NHL goal into a wide open net.
“I was getting a little tired starting the third and as soon as that one went in, the juice went right to the legs. It felt great,” said the beaming Poitras
The kid wasn’t done.
Poitras gave the B’s the lead at 10:20. This time he parked himself at the right side of the net from where he was able to lift a rebound of a Jake DeBrusk shot over goalie John Gibson for the 2-1 lead.
Brad Marchand then gave the B’s a two-goal cushion with an empty net goal with 2:34 left in regulation, taking the life out of Anaheim.
The B’s had some decent chances in the first period and nearly took the lead right off the bat. On an early penalty kill, Jake DeBrusk had a clean breakaway and had Gibson beaten but the shot clanged off the post.
The B’s also had three power-play chances and their attack got more potent with each chance, but Gibson (23 saves) was solid in net.
In the second period, the Ducks started to wrest control of the flow as the B’s got too loose, allowing Anaheim to gain the zone with speed, but Linus Ullmark made all the required stops.
The B’s, outshot in the second period 11-5, finally got a couple of chances late in the period. Poitras stole the puck behind the Anaheim net and set up Shattenkirk for a great scoring chance that Gibson gobbled up. David Pastrnak also set up Pavel Zacha for a good chance but Gibson didn’t give him any room on the shortside.
The game eventually turned in the B’s favor in the third period, and the more veteran B’s seemed to enjoy Poitras’ big moment as much as the rookie did.
“Oh, it’s fun,” said a grinning Ullmark. “He’s young and it’s inspiring as well. We all try to give him a hard time sometimes but he ‘s a great kid and we’re very fortunate and very happy to have him on our team.”
*Jake DeBrusk was back in the lineup against the Ducks after being scratched for Saturday’s game in Los Angeles because he was late for a team meeting. Coach Jim Montgomery said DeBrusk “handled it like a pro” and that the matter is behind them.
“There’s just a standard we believe in here and and when that standard isn’t met, there’s repercussions. But yesterday’s over with. It’s a new day and we’re moving forward,” Montgomery told reporters in Anaheim before the game.
After the game, DeBrusk took responsibility for his faux pas.
“We have a high standard on this team and we have a higher standard than people give credit for. I broke a team rule and I understand there’s consequences with that and I own up to it completely,” said DeBrusk. “I let the guys down. I wanted to join them in LA on Saturday and having to watch really sucked. I felt it and I just wanted to do anything I could to help the team out (Sunday) in any way. Obviously, things happen fast and it is what it is, but at the same time, I’m just focused on tonight. I’m proud to be a Bruin for all the standards we have here and it is what it is. I don’t have a rebuttal or anything on it.”
*A couple of B’s veterans were nicked up and had to sit on Sunday. Milan Lucic, who picked up the primary assist on Morgan Geekie’s goal against the Kings when he took Derek Forbort’s shot off his right foot, had to take the night off, as did Forbort, who has been battling a groin injury.
*Matt Grzelcyk had to leave the game briefly in the first period when he took a huge hit from Sam Carrick in the offensive slot but he was able to return.
*Trent Frederic ran into a big Radko Gudas check late in the second period and had to go to the room but he returned to start the third period.
