How Bruins’ Matthew Poitras Ignited Boston In Victory Over Lightning

BOSTON — When the Boston Bruins assigned Matthew Poitras to Providence in early November, the message to the forward was pretty simple — find a way to have a greater impact on the ice.

Poitras obviously received the message. During his time in the American Hockey League, he scored eight goals and 12 assists in 23 games for Providence. He earned another shot with the NHL club Tuesday night against the Tampa Bay Lightning.

In just his second shift, Poitras found himself on the scoresheet after a beautiful dish to Trent Frederic for the game’s first goal at 4:24 in the first period of Boston’s win over Tampa Bay.

“I thought Matty played well tonight,” Bruins interim coach Joe Sacco said. “… He obviously used his speed and his offensive ability on that first goal. He made a really nice play to Freddy. He did some other good things, too, as well with the puck.”

Poitras collected the loose puck for an odd-man rush up the ice, with Frederic driving toward the net. Sacco noted how Poitras used his speed in that situation.

“You can see it right off the hook there. He gets separation from his guy there,” Sacco said. “Charlie (Coyle) blocks the shot, the puck pops to Matty, and he uses his speed there. He uses his creativity. To be able to hang on to that puck the way that he did when (Lightning defenseman Darren Raddysh) was sliding, and be able to hang on to it, get it by him and over to Freddy, it was a really good play. I think you can tell right away it energized our group.”

Being successful in one game should earn Poitras more time in the NHL and, hopefully, a foothold in the league. However, that will require him to earn Sacco’s trust and earn each of his shifts.

“His compete level needs to be hard away from the puck,” Sacco told reporters before Boston’s game against Tampa Bay, per team-provided video. “Those are some of the details, playing defensively in our own zone, those are things we obviously take pride in. He’s getting better at that from all indications down in Providence. He’s getting stronger, which is another good sign for us. I don’t want to take away his offense and turn him into this guy that’s going to be a checker. That’s not what we’re saying. He has to be a good, reliable 200-foot player. But at the same time, let his offense come out.”

Poiras showed some of that in the game and will hopefully continue to earn more time in Boston.