Matthew Poitras on two-goal night for Bruins: "I kind of blacked out a little bit"

BOSTON -- Matthew Poitras was far and away the story of the preseason for the Boston Bruins. On Sunday night in Anaheim, all of the hype and excitement that the 19-year-old center had built for himself paid off.

Poitras scored the game-tying goal in the third period against the Ducks, the first goal of his NHL career, before scoring what proved to be the game-winning goal less than four minutes later.

"It's pretty surreal. I mean just seeing the puck going into the net, I was real excited," Poitras said after the 3-1 win, which lifted the Bruins to 5-0-0 on the young season. "I don't really know what I did -- I kind of blacked out a little bit. But super excited and super happy. It's a surreal feeling."

Skating with Jake DeBrusk and Morgan Geekie, Poitras drove to the net while Geekie carried the puck up the left side of the Anaheim zone with speed. With no shot available, Geekie ripped a backhand feed to a crowded front of the net, where Poitras was able to find the puck despite two defenders in his area. Poitras got just enough on his redirect to get the puck on net, and he caught a break from there.

"I kind of just put my stick in there and was fortunate. I thought it maybe was gonna go wide, but it went off the goalie's arm and in," he said. "So fortunate bounce."

During his "blackout" moment, Poitras celebrated with a roar along the glass, in a Honda Center that was not short on Bruins fans.

"Yeah I think it's instinct, I think he has a nose for the puck," head coach Jim Montgomery said. "The puck kind of follows him around, and that's what happens with guys that are good offensive hockey players. They got a nose for where the puck's going."

Two shifts later, Poitras was celebrating again, this time screening John Gibson on a Jake DeBrusk shot attempt and being in position to score on the rebound.

After scoring a goal he has dreamed about his whole life, Poitras said he'll likely give the puck from his first goal to his parents, just like he did with the puck from his assist on the opening night of the season.

From a Bruins standpoint, it seems to be a safe bet that Poitras won't be sent back to juniors after nine games -- not after joining this impressively short list:

Poitras got on the scoresheet with an assist in his NHL debut but was kept in check over his next three games. Sunday night felt like his true arrival.