Bruins
“That second objective there — that is all him. That is an unbelievable play from behind the online. He sees these performs.”
David Pastrnak sees some similarities between himself and Matt Poitras.
No, the Bruins’ 20-year-old heart might not wield the identical blistering one-timer that has allowed Pastrnak to pile up 18 hat methods in his profession.
However Boston’s high ahead can draw loads of parallels between his early days navigating the snarl of the NHL and the present rising pains that Poitras is coping with.
Pastrnak will not be essentially the most imposing determine on the ice at 6-foot-0 and 200 kilos. Nonetheless, the 28-year-old winger has made vital strides from his early days relating to battling by means of contact and never letting a couple of bone-crunching checks throw him off his sport.
And on Saturday night time in opposition to the Rangers, Poitras took a web page out of that very same script — leaving Boston’s 6-3 win over New York with a couple of welts … and a pair of apples on the scoresheet.
“We had been each sort of light-weight guys coming into the league,” Pastrnak stated of Poitras. “So I undoubtedly can relate to it. He obtained a lot stronger in comparison with a 12 months and a half in the past when he got here [to the NHL]. Clearly, he took benefit of the unlucky harm he had, and he’s a lot stronger. He’s obtained the arrogance … when he’s taking part in a sport like that, it’s enjoyable to look at.”
Pastrnak’s four-point night time (three targets, one help) headlined Boston’s bounce-back win on Causeway Road. However it was the playmaking of Poitras that sparked Pastrnak’s scoring salvo, as he arrange each of Pastrnak’s tallies at 5-on-5 play.
“He’s an unbelievable participant, so for me, it’s simply discovering him, and he sort of does the remaining,” Poitras stated of establishing Pastrnak’s targets.
At one level, it regarded as if it was going to be an early night time for the gifted teenager.
A bit of over 10 minutes into the competition, Poitras was cross-checked by Rangers pugnacious blueliner Ryan Lindgren — slamming into the boards as a scrum ensued.
Poitras has sadly been no stranger to punishment at hockey’s highest stage, with groups seeking to counter his gifted passing and willingness to function in Grade-A ice by doling out as a lot harm as attainable in opposition to the 5-foot-11, 189-pound centerman.
These heavy checks and crunches into the frozen sheet took their toll final season, slicing Poitras’ promising rookie marketing campaign in 2023-24 brief after he was pressured to go beneath the knife to restore a torn-up shoulder.
The preliminary optics weren’t good on Saturday following Lindgren’s infraction. However Poitras rose up from the fracas and made his option to the bench with a smile on his face.
Simply over seven minutes later, Poitras threw his weight round to actual revenge in opposition to the Blueshirts.
Skating over the offensive blue line, Poitras discovered himself in a foot race with Rangers defenseman Adam Fox. Poitras was the primary to retrieve the skittering puck behind New York’s internet, with the younger ahead shielding the biscuit from Fox and sustaining management of it in Grade-A ice.
With the puck secured on his stick, Poitras fed it in entrance of the online — permitting Pastrnak to faucet the providing previous Igor Shesterkin to present Boston a 2-1 lead on the time.
“He’s obtained an unbelievable talent,” Charlie McAvoy stated of Poitras. “In order that second objective there — that’s all him. That’s an unbelievable play from behind the online. He sees these performs. He could make these performs.
“On this league, it’s robust, as a result of it’s a must to enable guys to play with the arrogance to make these performs. However when errors occur, it’s robust. It may be discouraging, proper? So that you sort of stroll that line of taking part in a wise model [of hockey], but additionally seeing a man like that and inspiring him to make the performs when he can.
“He has the talent and he’s obtained the desire and compete to go there. He doesn’t get flustered and groups are gonna play him onerous. He’s not the largest man, however he bounces again and he works onerous.”
No matter hope the Bruins have of clawing again into the playoff image this spring seemingly revolves round Pastrnak and his skill to shoulder Boston’s scoring burden.
To date, he’s been as much as the duty — scoring a whopping 14 targets and 28 factors for the reason that calendar flipped to 2025 (15 whole video games).
However the continued ascension of a poised playmaker in Poitras could be a welcome sight as Boston tries to unearth extra scoring expertise on this depth chart.
Extra ice luggage might be required this season as Poitras continues to try to discover traction within the NHL ranks.
It’s a part of the sport — one which Poitras is slowly beginning to resolve as he tries to entrench himself as a featured participant transferring ahead on this roster.
“For me, I’m simply getting extra snug,” Poitras stated. “I really feel like my off-ice habits have gotten higher. And I’m simply attempting to do increasingly daily, attempting to ensure my physique handles this many video games … It’s simply attempting to get myself feeling good going into every sport.”
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