The 19-year-old center skated on a line with Brad Marchand and Morgan Geekie on Monday.
Matt Poitras just keeps climbing.
As part of Boston Bruins coach Jim Momtgomery’s effort to increase 5-on-5 offensive production and find lasting chemistry between his lines, Poitras – the 19-year-old center – was upgraded to top six positioning during Monday’s practice at Warrior Ice Arena ahead of the team’s four-game road trip.
With only two games in their first week of regular season action, the Bruins have used the extra practice time to experiment with different combinations both within the forward group and on the backend.
“We need more teaching than we did last year, just to be able to play fast,” Montgomery said. “I really liked how our 5-on-5 game, from game one to game two, played a lot faster in all three zones. That was encouraging, but we’ve still got a long way to go.”
Through the B’s first two games – and wins – of the year against the Chicago Blackhawks and Nashville Predators, they only netted two 5-on-5 goals. While the special teams impressed on Saturday at TD Garden, even strength conversion is a must for any group’s long-term success.
So, as he does, Montgomery is mixing it up.
Poitras centered the second line with Brad Marchand on the left wing and Morgan Geekie on the right on Monday after previously skating with Geekie and Frederic on the third line to open the season. With seven games left in his NHL audition, Poitras has yet to face a challenge he hasn’t handled with high compete and composure.
Facing opponents’ top matchups and keeping his play consistent through a tight schedule will be the youngster’s next test.
“He’s a great little player; very smart, very skilled, really good at finding space with the puck. To have the poise he has at his age is really impressive,” Marchand said of Poitras.
“The biggest thing for him is just being able to do it every night. At this level you have to be consistent and with the amount of games and the travel and how hard it is every day to practice and to train the way you do here – that can take a toll on your body if you’re not used to it.”
Poitras said the speed and intensity of the NHL level is the biggest adjustment thus far, but he’s been able to drive play nonetheless and notched his first pro point during Wednesday’s home opener, threading the puck to Brandon Carlo who got the primary assist on Frederic’s tip-in goal.
Now, presumably getting the chance to play with Marchand, Poitras will focus on finding his own spots, knowing the captain can – and likes to – dictate the o-zone cycle.
“Just playing with Marchand, you can kind of see the way he’s gonna hold onto pucks more. For me, it’s going to be about playing away from the puck a bit more and kind of learning to find some open ice,” Poitras said.
“It’s exciting. I’ve had a great opportunity so far and just gotta keep working and I get to play aside a world class player so that’s pretty cool.”
Marchand and Poitras got ice time together during the preseason, but a spark when it really counts could wholly convince the Bruins Brass to commit to making him an immediate, core part of the team’s future down the middle.
“He’s not timid at all and goes to the hard areas. If he loses it [the puck], he has a second and third effort to get it back and that’s typically what makes players really good in this game,” Marchand said.
Apart from the new-look second line, Jake DeBrusk, Pavel Zacha and David Pastrnak will get a spin together on the first line while James van Riemsdyk, Charlie Coyle and Frederic test things out on the third. The Milan Lucic, Johnny Beecher, Jakub Lauko trio remained unchanged on Monday.
Montgomery is being patient with his players, and accepting the fact that things won’t click as fast as when Patrice Bergeron and David Krejci were in the driver's seat.
“We’re a work in progress, and when you’re a work in progress as a team as far as our close out game, extended leads – all those littles things that really matter to results – you’ve got to do with a little more teaching,” the coach said.
En route to getting the wanted results, Montgomery has continuously emphasized the need to build a strong ‘team game,’ and some bonding time on the road may be what pushes the Bruins over the edge to truly finding their 2023-24 groove.
“We have a lot of new guys on the team this year and when you’re able to get away, you spend a lot of time together. You start to build those connections and chemistry off the ice which usually translates on the ice,” Marchand said.