Watch: Matt Poitras nets his fourth goal of the season with filthy backhand
Bruins
Poitras deked the Detroit Red Wings’ goalie to leave the net wide open for a backhanded score.
19-year-old Matt Poitras has already made himself a household name through the first 10 games of his NHL career with the Bruins.
After potting his first and second professional goals against the Anaheim Ducks on Oct. 22 and his third against the Chicago Blackhawks two days later, Boston’s standout center netted another one on Saturday night in Detroit.
It was filthy.
Poitras put Boston up 2-0 in the first period by dekeing Red Wings’ goaltender Ville Husso on a pass from Kevin Shattenkirk in Detroit’s zone. The teen phenom juked the 28-year-old goalie, who ended up halfway out of the crease, making him move out to his left as Poitras scored to Husso’s right with ease. Husso anticipated a forehand shot, but the rookie drew up a backhand to double the Bruins’ lead in the first period.
The goal was good for Poitras’s sixth point of the season, his first goal since Boston announced that he would be remaining with the Bruins’ NHL roster on Oct. 31. The team had the option to send him back to his junior team, the Ontario Hockey League’s Guelph Storm, but chose to keep him in the big leagues.
Boston head coach Jim Montgomery told reporters on Halloween that the team was not ready to ship Poitras off considering his hot start to his career.
“I think his play — he earned it, right? I think we’re comfortable with him,” Montgomery said. “He just belongs.”
Montgomery did add that there is no guarantee Poitras remains with the Bruins for the entirety of the 82-game regular season, but the 19-year-old has already made a good case for the team to keep him around for the time being.
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