One question, among many surrounding the Boston Bruins in training camp this year, is which, if any, prospects make the Opening Night roster on Oct. 8 against the Washington Capitals on the road. Sunday at the TD Garden, some prospects got a first chance to impress. For Matthew Poitras, it was a tough one.
Poitras took a physical beating against Washington in the Bruins' 5-2 loss. In the first period, he took a hit to his knee from the Capitals' Ryan Chesley, who was assessed a minor penalty. It was good to see Poitras get up and skate off under his own power.
In the third period, during a battle behind the net for the puck, the second-round pick in the 2022 Entry Draft took a high stick from Henrik Rybinski, which also drew a penalty. He finished the game with a plus/minus of minus-3 in 18:40 in time on ice. It wasn't the start he was looking for, and he gave an honest assessment on Monday.
Bruins prospect Matthew Poitras gives brutally honest assessment of his performance against the Capitals on Sunday
As far as the Bruins go, it was a rough night all around after allowing four first-period goals in the loss. Following Monday's workout at Warrior Ice Arena, Poitras gave an honest take on how he played.
"It was a little rough,'' Poitras said. "It felt a little early and I didn't get into the game well enough...I felt better as the game went on but, just a couple of small detail mistakes that I'd like back."
The good news is that there were no lingering effects from the hit to his knee area and the high stick he took, but he isn't alone in liking to have some small details back. It was only the first of six preseason games, but Poitras knows some things need to be corrected, and he will. It's just a matter of getting them corrected before cuts are made.