Boston Bruins forward Matthew Poitras took a puck to the face in the first period against the Utah Mammoth. The injury required five stitches during the intermission. For plenty of players, that would have been the most memorable part of the evening.
Poitras had another idea.
He returned to the game and scored his first goal of the season as Boston rolled to a 6-1 victory at TD Garden. It wasn’t the biggest statistical performance of the night. David Pastrnak finished with two goals and two assists, while Jeremy Swayman stopped 36 shots.
But Poitras provided one of the game’s more entertaining stories.
Poitras Turns Painful Moment Into Positive Night
Boston had already built a commanding lead when Poitras found the back of the net at 14:08 of the second period. Pastrnak assisted on the goal, which extended the Bruins’ advantage to 6-0.The sequence was a fitting conclusion to a challenging evening for the young forward.
Getting struck in the face by a puck is hardly an ideal way to spend the first period. Returning after receiving stitches and contributing offensively makes the experience considerably more satisfying.
Boston goal! Scored by Matthew Poitras with 05:52 left in the 2nd. Assisted by David Pastrnak. BOS: 6 | UTA: 0 #UTAvsBOS #NHLBruins #TusksUp https://t.co/ujD4JvUvII
— NHL Goals (@nhl_goal_bot) October 9, 2026
The goal also came during an important early-season stretch for Poitras, who had recently been activated by Boston.
Every opportunity matters for a young player trying to establish a consistent role. Thursday offered another example of the determination required to remain in an NHL lineup.
MORE: Bruins’ Six-Goal Outburst Came With A Warning Hidden In The Numbers
Bruins Get More Than Pastrnak’s Offensive Explosion
Boston’s victory featured several encouraging developments. The Bruins entered Thursday without a power-play goal in their first four games, going 0-for-10 with the man advantage. They responded by scoring three times on four opportunities against Utah.
Even more impressive was the penalty kill. The Mammoth arrived with the NHL’s top-ranked power play, having converted eight of their first 13 chances.Boston shut that unit down completely, killing all seven Utah opportunities.
Pastrnak’s four-point performance will deservedly receive plenty of attention. The Bruins captain also tied Brad Marchand for fourth place on the franchise’s all-time goals list.
But a successful season requires contributions beyond the biggest names. Poitras delivered one Thursday, even if he needed a few stitches along the way.
The Bruins return to action Saturday afternoon against the Philadelphia Flyers. For Poitras, Thursday’s goal could be an encouraging step toward earning a larger role as the season progresses.
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