Bruins Forward Poitras Returns After Nose Injury
The 22-year-old center will travel to Pittsburgh for Thursday's game, though he remains a game-time decision.
By Julia Wang ·
Boston Bruins forward Matt Poitras will accompany the team to Pittsburgh for Thursday's road matchup against the Penguins. Head Coach Marco Sturm confirmed on Wednesday that the 22-year-old center is a candidate to play if he continues to progress in practice.
Poitras suffered a broken nose during Monday night's 3-2 shootout victory over the Vegas Golden Knights. The injury occurred in the second period when Braeden Bowman delivered an elbow to Poitras's face in the neutral zone. Poitras bled heavily and left the ice for repairs.
The NHL Department of Player Safety did not impose supplemental discipline on Bowman. He received a five-minute major penalty and a game misconduct penalty during the match. The two players were teammates in the Guelph Storm junior league. Poitras described the incident as an unlucky play where he turned the puck over and positioned himself poorly.
Poitras returned to the bench in the third period wearing a full face shield. He did not record any ice time for the remainder of the game. He skipped Tuesday's practice at Warrior Ice Arena to have his nose reset. He participated fully in Wednesday's session as a spare forward.
Sturm noted that Poitras remained on the ice for the entire practice. The coach stated that the team will assess Poitras's condition on Thursday morning before making a final lineup decision. Veteran Sean Kuraly is expected to start as the fourth-line center if Poitras sits out.
Rookie defenseman Frederic Brunet also made changes to his routine this week. He sat out three consecutive games after a 2-1 loss to the Carolina Hurricanes on October 27. During that game, Brunet lost possession behind the net, leading to a goal against Jeremy Swayman.
Brunet has recorded one goal and three assists in ten games this season. The Bruins outscored opponents 6-2 during the 125 minutes and 37 seconds of five-on-five ice time that Brunet spent with Mason Lohrei. Brunet skated with Lohrei in the last two practices. He expects to return to the lineup Thursday.
Sturm explained that Brunet was in the wrong position too often in previous games. The coach said he needed to protect the rookie by resting him. Brunet acknowledged that his play in Carolina was not good enough and that he used the time off to review the games from the stands.
