Bruins Notes: Matthew Poitras Pots First Two NHL Goals In Boston Win

The Boston Bruins are off to a hot start early in their centennial season, defeating the Anaheim Ducks on Sunday night to complete the sweep of California.

While the first 40 minutes of the game were not some of the cleanest for the Bruins, solid goaltending from Linus Ullmark kept the score knotted at zero.

“Our goaltending has been really good,” Bruins coach Jim Montgomery told reporters after the game, as seen on NESN’s postgame coverage. “It’s probably why we’re unbeaten is because of the great job both of them (Ullmark and Jeremy Swayman) have been doing.”

In his third start, Ullmark made 32 saves and has allowed just one goal in each of the games for a .958 save percentage.

Trailing 1-0 in the third after Mason McTavish put Anaheim on the board, Matthew Poitras lit the lamp for his first career goal 1:24 later.

“(Morgan Geekie) made that play twice,” Poitras explained to NESN’s Adam Pellerin after the game. “The first time I just missed it far right and I thought if he gave me another one I’m gonna put it in the back of the net so I just put my stick there and I got a lucky bounce off the goalie’s arm and it went in.”

For Montgomery, Poitras is playing with more than just luck on his side.

“He’s a hockey player. He competes. He believes in himself,” Montgomery said. “He’s always looking to hang onto pucks and make plays that are going to produce offense. “

Montgomery added: “I think it’s instinct. I think he has a nose for the puck and that’s what happens with guys that are good offensive hockey players. They got a nose for where the puck’s going.”

Poitras joked with Pellerin that his new haircut helped him record two goals in the game.

“I feel a little bit lighter and lost a few pounds,” he laughed.

Here are more notes from Sunday’s Bruins-Ducks game:

— Jake DeBrusk addressed being a healthy scratch in Boston’s win over the Kings on Saturday night for being late to a Bruins’ team meeting.

“It was one of those things… we have high standards on this team and we have a higher standard that people give credit for,” DeBrusk told reporters, as seen on NESN’s postgame coverage. “I broke a team rule and I understand there’s consequences with that and I own up to it completely.

“I let the guys down. I wanted to join them in LA yesterday and having to watch it really sucked and I felt it. I just wanted to do anything I could to help the team out today. … I’m proud to be growing, proud of the standards that we have here.”

DeBrusk had an assist on Poitras’s second goal and finished the night as a plus-two over 17:19 minutes of ice time.

— Per NESN’s postgame coverage, Poitras became the fifth youngest Bruin to record a multi-goal game joining Patrice Bergeron, David Pastrnak, Phil Kessel and Sergei Samsanov.

— The Bruins weren’t able to capitalize on any of the five power-play opportunities in the game but did kill off all three of the Ducks’ man-advantages. Boston has allowed just one goal in 22 penalty-kill situations this season.

— For the second time in team history, the Bruins have started the season 5-0-0. The last time the Bruins started the season unbeaten in five games was in the 1937-38 season when Boston went 6-0-0.

— The Bruins close out their four-game road trip when they travel to the Windy City on Tuesday night to take on the Chicago Blackhawks. Puck drop from the United Center is scheduled for 8:30 p.m. ET and will be broadcast on ESPN. The Bruins will return to NESN when they host the Ducks on Thursday.