Any hockey fan with no particular rooting interest who tuned in to the Bruins vs. Blackhawks on national TV hoping to get a look at an impressive rookie, got their wish Tuesday.
But maybe not from the rookie they were expecting.
While Blackhawks center Connor Bedard, who had been hyped as the game’s next superstar, struggled on Tuesday, Bruins phenom Matt Poitras continued his eye-opening start with his third goal in the last two games in Boston’s 3-0 win at the United Center.
“He’s doing a terrific job,” Montgomery said.
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The two teenagers were rarely on the ice against each other, but still, the comparisons were natural for two players who could potentially spend the next two decades in the NHL together. Helped by having better teammates around him, Poitras has been a little better so far.
Tuesday’s goal set a new Poitras peak. There was nothing fluky about it. The combination of instinct, hustle and skill created a signature moment early in his career. Poitras made a play in the defensive zone to start the play, hustled to open the opportunity and then finished like a veteran.
With former Hart Trophy winner Corey Perry trying to move from the left wing boards to the middle of the ice above the faceoff circle in the Bruins’ end, Poitras came out to challenge him. His left hand was on his stick and he reached out and poked the puck off Perry’s stick.
Poitras had the advantage of momentum moving him in the right direction and he accelerated.
“I saw a lot of open ice and just skated as fast as I can,” he said. “I was fortunate to pull away.”
He beat Perry to the puck at center ice and raced toward the net with two Blackhawks in pursuit. Poitras shifted from his backhand to forehand and tucked it under goalie Petr Mrazek’s stretching left leg into the goal to put Boston up 2-0.
It was another aggressive play by a rookie, who has shown growing confidence in each NHL game.
“(Confidence) just got better and better as it went on. I felt better shift by shift,” he said. “The confidence level is pretty high.”
Montgomery said that increased esteem is visible.
“You see a guy who believes,” Montgomery said. “Not only is he in the NHL, but he can play well.”
ESPN’s Sean McDonough chose Poitras’ goal as the network’s “Jägermeister Shot of the Night” promotion and joked, “It goes to the guy not old enough to take a shot.”
Not in the United States anyway.
Bedard, 18, who is even further from getting a legal drink than Poitras didn’t take any shots at all. Not of Jäger or at the net. After scoring his first NHL goal at TD Garden to start the season, Bedard’s only shot of the night came on a disallowed goal. He played over 18 minutes without registering an official shot. Still, Montgomery was impressed.
“He’s a special creative player. He makes things happen out of nothing,” he said. “He makes players around him better. He’s going to be a real star in this league.”
The Bruins aren’t ready to call Poitras a future star or even a full-time Bruin yet. The team has nine games before they’ll be pushed to a decision on whether to return him to the Guelph Storm of the Ontario Hockey League. Poitras is living in a Boston hotel rather than jinxing himself by looking for an apartment. But after his third critical goal in the last two games, ESPN announcer and NHL veteran Ray Ferraro said what everyone watching was thinking.
“Get out of the hotel.”
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Montgomery wasn’t ready to send the kid to the front desk for checkout yet. The Bruins are expected to take all nine games before determining anything. But Poitras’ play is making the decision for them.
“He’s making it really hard on us, isn’t he?” Montgomery said chuckling.
Nope. In actuality, he’s making it pretty easy. At this point, it’d be nearly impossible to send him back down.
Follow MassLive sports columnist Matt Vautour on Twitter at @MattVautour424.
