Bruins
“That second goal there — that’s all him. That’s an incredible play from behind the net. He sees those plays.”
David Pastrnak sees some similarities between himself and Matt Poitras.
No, the Bruins’ 20-year-old center may not wield the same blistering one-timer that has allowed Pastrnak to pile up 18 hat tricks in his career.
But Boston’s top forward can draw plenty of parallels between his early days navigating the snarl of the NHL and the current growing pains that Poitras is dealing with.
Pastrnak is not the most imposing figure on the ice at 6-foot-0 and 200 pounds. Still, the 28-year-old winger has made significant strides from his early days when it comes to battling through contact and not letting a few bone-crunching checks throw him off his game.
And on Saturday night against the Rangers, Poitras took a page out of that same script — leaving Boston’s 6-3 win over New York with a few welts … and a pair of apples on the scoresheet.
“We were both kind of lightweight guys coming into the league,” Pastrnak said of Poitras. “So I definitely can relate to it. He got so much stronger compared to a year and a half ago when he came [to the NHL]. Obviously, he took advantage of the unfortunate injury he had, and he is much stronger. He’s got the confidence … when he’s playing a game like that, it’s fun to watch.”
Pastrnak’s four-point night (three goals, one assist) headlined Boston’s bounce-back win on Causeway Street. But it was the playmaking of Poitras that sparked Pastrnak’s scoring salvo, as he set up both of Pastrnak’s tallies at 5-on-5 play.
“He’s an unbelievable player, so for me, it’s just finding him, and he kind of does the rest,” Poitras said of setting up Pastrnak’s goals.
At one point, it looked as though it was going to be an early night for the gifted youngster.
A little over 10 minutes into the contest, Poitras was cross-checked by Rangers pugnacious blueliner Ryan Lindgren — slamming into the boards as a scrum ensued.
Poitras has unfortunately been no stranger to punishment at hockey’s highest level, with teams looking to counter his gifted passing and willingness to operate in Grade-A ice by doling out as much damage as possible against the 5-foot-11, 189-pound centerman.
Those heavy checks and crunches into the frozen sheet took their toll last season, cutting Poitras’ promising rookie campaign in 2023-24 short after he was forced to go under the knife to repair a torn-up shoulder.
The initial optics weren’t good on Saturday following Lindgren’s infraction. But Poitras rose up from the fracas and made his way to the bench with a smile on his face.
Just over seven minutes later, Poitras threw his weight around to exact revenge against the Blueshirts.
Skating over the offensive blue line, Poitras found himself in a foot race with Rangers defenseman Adam Fox. Poitras was the first to retrieve the skittering puck behind New York’s net, with the young forward shielding the biscuit from Fox and maintaining control of it in Grade-A ice.
With the puck secured on his stick, Poitras fed it in front of the net — allowing Pastrnak to tap the offering past Igor Shesterkin to give Boston a 2-1 lead at the time.
“He’s got an incredible skill,” Charlie McAvoy said of Poitras. “So that second goal there — that’s all him. That’s an incredible play from behind the net. He sees those plays. He can make those plays.
“In this league, it’s tough, because you have to allow guys to play with the confidence to make those plays. But when mistakes happen, it’s tough. It can be discouraging, right? So you kind of walk that line of playing a smart brand [of hockey], but also seeing a guy like that and encouraging him to make the plays when he can.
“He has the skill and he’s got the will and compete to go there. He doesn’t get flustered and teams are gonna play him hard. He’s not the biggest guy, but he bounces back and he works hard.”
Whatever hope the Bruins have of clawing back into the playoff picture this spring likely revolves around Pastrnak and his ability to shoulder Boston’s scoring burden.
So far, he’s been up to the task — scoring a whopping 14 goals and 28 points since the calendar flipped to 2025 (15 total games).
But the continued ascension of a poised playmaker in Poitras would be a welcome sight as Boston tries to unearth more scoring talent on this depth chart.
More ice bags will be required this season as Poitras continues to try and find traction in the NHL ranks.
It’s part of the game — one that Poitras is slowly starting to solve as he tries to entrench himself as a featured player moving forward on this roster.
“For me, I’m just getting more comfortable,” Poitras said. “I feel like my off-ice habits have gotten better. And I’m just trying to do more and more every day, trying to make sure my body handles this many games … It’s just trying to get myself feeling good going into each game.”
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