Bruins’ Matthew Poitras Preparing For ‘Surreal’ Matchup

The Boston Bruins’ matchup with the Toronto Maple Leafs on Saturday at Scotiabank Arena will be just the latest chapter in a storied rivalry.

It means a bit more for B’s rookie Matthew Poitras, however.

Poitras was born in Ajax, Ontario, a suburb outside of Toronto, and grew up attending Maple Leafs games at Scotiabank Arena. He’s familiar with the venue, but will experience his first foray into it as a player Saturday.

“It’s going to be nice to get back home,” Poitras said Friday, per team-provided video. “It’s pretty surreal, I was just thinking last year during Christmas break, me and my dad went to watch a game and now I’m going to be playing there. It’s pretty crazy.”

Poitras is in his rookie season, but routinely has shown a maturity that has allowed him to stick with the Bruins.

“It’s going to be pretty cool,” Poitras said. “I’ll take it all in during warm ups, but when the puck drops, hopefully I’ll dial in and play it like any other game. … (The tickets) are real expensive. I looked into it. It’s real expensive. I’m lucky my family members were able to get tickets earlier on.”

The 19-year-old hasn’t quite been afforded an opportunity to get comfortable, as routine line changes have tested his flexibility early on. In 22 games, Poitras has five goals and six assists while playing with nearly everyone on the Bruins’ roster.

He centered Brad Marchand and Danton Heinen in Thursday’s win over the San Jose Sharks, and moved to center James van Riemsdyk and Trent Frederic in practice Friday.

The show goes on for Poitras, with more milestone moments set to come.