Matt Poitras anticipated to rejoin Bruins after Canada’s exit from World Juniors

Bruins

Matt Poitras posted 4 factors in 5 video games for Canada throughout World Juniors.

The Bruins are anticipated to get some reinforcements of their bottom-six grouping this week.

After Staff Canada was bounced from the World Junior Championship in Sweden in gorgeous vogue on Tuesday, Bruins heart Matt Poitras is anticipated to rejoin the workforce in Boston — with a return to the lineup probably set for this weekend.

“I feel he will get again [Wednesday], after which he begins to assimilate again into the group,” Bruins coach Jim Montgomery advised The Boston Globe’s Kevin Paul Dupont Tuesday morning. “How quickly he performs once more, that’s up for dialogue, as a result of it simply occurred.”

Poitras, who the Bruins loaned to hitch Staff Canada beginning on Dec. 18 for the annual worldwide event, recorded 4 factors (two objectives, two assists) in 5 whole video games along with his dwelling nation earlier than they have been defeated by Czechia, 3-2, within the quarterfinals.

It was a crushing loss for Poitras and Staff Canada, with Czechia scoring the game-winning tally off a deflection with simply 11 seconds to go in regulation. 

“It’s the worst feeling on the planet. I really feel like we left a lot on the desk,” Poitras told TSN’s Mark Masters after the loss. “We had an amazing workforce. It’s actually irritating. I don’t know, it’s simply the worst feeling on the planet. I felt like I used to be gripping my stick too tight and, I don’t know, I couldn’t discover the again of the web. So, I don’t know, it sucks. I really feel like I let a few of these guys down, let [the] nation down. I really feel like that.”

The Bruins’ determination to mortgage Poitras to Staff Canada amid his rookie season introduced its fair proportion of professionals and cons, particularly by way of the added workload positioned on the 19-year-old ahead. 

However final month, Bruins GM Don Sweeney stated he believed a break from NHL competitors may need been simply what Poitras wanted to settle again right into a rhythm. He scored only one purpose over his final 16 video games with Boston, averaging 13:19 of ice time per contest.

“I feel [this] will get him to have an opportunity mentally and bodily to have slightly little bit of a reset, go towards and play towards your peer group,” Sweeney stated. “Now once more, it’s excessive expectations and high-leverage stress conditions that he’s now been thrust into on the highest degree you may presumably play at. He ought to deal with that properly.

“He ought to take these issues that occurred in our locker room and impart them on his new teammates and lead from the entrance and that’s what we’re hoping for. And he’ll come again and reinsert himself with us.”

Even with Staff Canada’s sudden exit, Poitras’ playmaking and poise with the puck will likely be welcomed by Boston at any time when he does return to the ice.

Nonetheless, there may must be some shuffling in Boston’s lineup to accommodate the younger pivot.

Georgii Merkulov was known as up from Windfall final week to fit in on the bottom-six grouping, however may very well be in line for a trek again to the AHL after posting zero factors in his first three video games.

Montgomery may also be inclined to maintain a reworked third line of James van Riemsdyk, Trent Frederic, and Danton Heinen collectively for a bit longer, particularly after that trio mixed for 3 objectives in Boston’s 4-1 win over the Blue Jackets on Tuesday.