BOSTON – Matt Poitras is getting quite the look.
The 19-year-old centerman will play in his fourth contest of the preseason on Tuesday night when the Bruins host the Washington Capitals at TD Garden (7 p.m. ET on NESN and 98.5 The Sports Hub).
“To see how he handles being able to play on a back-to-back,” coach Jim Montgomery said when asked about Poitras playing in two consecutive exhibition games. “We’re gonna see a real good lineup from Washington. From the looks of it, it’s pretty much Washington’s team up front. See him go against the [Nicklas] Backstroms, the [Evgeny] Kuznetsovs of the world and see how he handles that.”
Montgomery has seen Poitras gradually improve throughout training camp, something that Boston’s bench boss noted is usually a trait of good players.
“We see the capabilities of what he can do, creativity, and the growth of his game,” said Montgomery. “The other component is the physical aspect of it. It’s a man’s league compared to junior league. He’s used to playing against people within two years of his age. That’s the component, balancing those two to see what’s fits the benefit for him, right, as far as his confidence and him being able to be someone that not only helps the Bruins but if you went back, how much more confident does he grow.
“There’s a lot of factors that grow into it. He’s done so well so far, that’s why we’re giving him these opportunities so that he’s in the picture.”
Poitras, like he did on Friday night against Philadelphia, will center Brad Marchand (as well as Trent Frederic). Marchand said that the 2022 second-round pick reminds him of Toronto Maple Leafs star Mitch Marner in the way that he blends skill and compete.
“He’s smart on both sides of the puck…the way he moves and can dish it,” said Marchand. “Just reminds me of [Marner]. Similar where he’s not timid to get into the dirty areas and compete for pucks. He’s got great vision. He does a great job of cutting to the middle and buying himself some space.
“He’s able to find the quiet areas where he has an extra second to make a play. Even when he’s under pressure and guys are kind of barreling down, he finds holes. He’s got great vision for sure.
“He’s definitely shown a lot of promise. He’s had a great camp so far, but he’s got to keep it going. It’s gonna be tough on him tonight having a back-to-back with travel…those are things that you need to be able to show you can do at the next level is, be consistent…he’s a great little player. He’s got a bright future ahead of him.”
