What Happened
Matthew Poitras was absent from Bruins practice after taking an elbow to the head from Braeden Bowman at 2:49 of the second period in Boston's 3-2 shootout win over Vegas, according to Scott McLaughlin of WEEI. Poitras came back wearing a full bubble shield but did not play another shift, finishing with 3:13 of ice time. Bowman was assessed a five-minute major and a game misconduct. Coach Marco Sturm did not give a postgame update on Poitras.
Key Details
- Poitras missed practice; Sean Kuraly skated on the fourth line.
- The hit came at 2:49 of the second period as Poitras moved the puck through the neutral zone.
- Bowman received a five-minute major and a game misconduct.
- Per Frank Seravalli, Bowman has not received additional discipline.
- Seravalli reported the play was not viewed as elbowing and the head was not the principal point of contact.
- Poitras has 7 points in 12 games this season.
What It Means
Poitras has been a bright spot in Boston's youth movement, producing 7 points in 12 games while averaging under 10 minutes of ice time. According to Pro Hockey Rumors, his 3.78 points per 60 minutes ranked 10th in the NHL. Any absence would test the Bruins' forward depth, with Kuraly already filling in on the fourth line at practice.
What's Next
The Bruins have not announced a timeline for Poitras, and his status for the next game is unclear. No further discipline is expected for Bowman, per Frank Seravalli.