Matt Poitras Makes Admission About Game-Changing OT Shift

The Bruins couldn’t have asked for much better of a season debut from Matthew Poitras.

Poitras, who missed Boston’s first two games of the campaign due to an undisclosed injury, was excellent in his team’s 2-1 win over the Los Angeles Kings on Saturday afternoon. The 20-year-old saved some of his best hockey of the day for overtime at TD Garden, where he emptied the tank and logged an assist on David Pastrnak’s game-winning goal.

After the Black and Gold’s second straight win, Poitras admitted he was very much in need of a breather right before Pastrnak lit the lamp.

“I was ready to change. I was pretty tired,” Poitras told reporters, per The Athletic. “So I just flung it cross-ice to Pasta, changed. I looked back and Pasta scored.”

Poitras drew rave reviews from his peers after his first regular-season game since late January. Pastrnak thought the second-year forward was “so impressive,” while head coach Jim Montgomery labeled Poitras’ season debut as “special.”

The 2022 second-round pick will try to keep it rolling Monday afternoon when Boston hosts the reigning Stanley Cup champion Florida Panthers. NESN’s full coverage of the Opening Night rematch will begin at noon ET.