David Pastrnak spoke about his ongoing hot streak.
David Pastrnak spoke about his ongoing hot streak.
BOSTON – Many wondered what type of player David Pastrnak would be without the on-ice presence of Patrice Bergeron and David Krejci.
No. 88 learned, developed and produced the majority of his career playing with those two veteran players. Whether he was on a line with Bergeron, or Krejci, Pastrnak reaped the benefits of world-class players. After both Bergeron and Krejci retired, Pastrnak still had Brad Marchand, but the lineup would change to balance the offense for the Boston Bruins.
Pastrnak’s once-potent offense has been inconsistent – until now.
He’s in the midst of an impressive point streak. He has 14 goals and 14 assists for 28 points in his last 15 games. He posted his 18th career hat trick during Saturday’s 6-3 win against the New York Rangers at TD Garden. It was also Pastrnak’s 15th career four-point game to surpass Peter McNab for 10th on the Bruins’ all-time list.
Pastrnak has rediscovered his form at a time when the struggling Bruins need him the most.
“I definitely set my standards high,” he said. “I’m never satisfied. I try to get better every single game. The sky’s the limit when I’m on my game and focused. I set my standards high, which sometimes can be tough, but that’s the player I became and that’s the pressure you have to face. I’m fine with it and I enjoy it. Right now it’s going well, but there will be sequences when the puck’s not going to go in, you have to be prepared for it and make sure you answer to get back on track.”
He admitted he’s becoming an offensive threat again with the help of his linemates Pavel Zacha and Morgan Geekie. While Zacha has played with Pastrnak for three seasons, Geekie has been given a chance to perform on that line of late.
“It helps as a line we’ve been playing some good hockey the past month,” said Pastrnak, who was named the NHL’s First Star for January. “We’re feeling confident and having good offensive games. We know what to expect from each other and it’s a huge credit to my linemates (Pavel Zacha and Morgan Geekie) and I’ve been feeling much better lately.”
Bruins coach Joe Sacco said he can’t pinpoint exactly what triggered Pastrnak’s resurgence, but the coach believed it was only a matter of time before the veteran forward found his game.
“He starts to get some production offensively and the puck starts going in,” Sacco said. “The plays he was making earlier maybe he wasn’t finishing off as well, but once those guys start producing and start to accumulate some points, they feel better about themselves. He’s here to drive offense for us and that’s what we need from him. I can’t pinpoint one thing, but he’s one of those guys once he gets hot, he can continue to stay that way for a long time.”
Pastrnak also recorded his eighth career point streak of 10-plus games to pass Bobby Orr (seven times) for the second most in franchise history behind Phil Esposito (10).
“Any time you mention the name and player like Bobby Orr was it’s definitely honorable,” Pastrnak said. “It’s motivation to keep working hard. Honestly, the only thing I saw a couple of days ago I passed in points my boy (Krejci). I haven’t got to talk to him yet, so I might have to give him a phone call today.”
Pastrnak, who is in his 11th NHL season, has 792 career points (375 goals, 417 assists) in 728 games. During his 16-year career with the Bruins, Krejci recorded 786 points (231 goals, 555 assists) in 1,032 games.
The Bruins have three games remaining – Wild, Rangers, Golden Knights – before the upcoming break. In fact, Pastrnak doesn’t seem too disappointed about his country, the Czech Republic, not being included in the upcoming 4 Nations Face-Off between the United States, Canada, Sweden and Finland because he’s looking forward to the break.
“We are battling for every single point we can get and we know the importance of these last three games before the break,” he said. “It’s going to be a good time to recharge mentally and get better physically. Honestly, I’m fine with the break.”