With no goals in his past four games and benched for the entire third period, the Bruins expect a very motivated David Pastrnak
The Boston Bruins have had the Toronto Maple Leafs' number for quite a while, with David Pastrnak playing a major role in their success. Just look back to the 2024 Stanley Cup Playoffs when the Czech star scored the overtime Game 7 winner in the first round, knocking out Toronto.
However, things haven’t been going smoothly for Pastrnak lately. He’s gone without a goal in his past four games, and in the Bruins' 2-0 victory over the Seattle Kraken on Sunday, head coach Jim Montgomery benched him for the entire third period.
The Bruins are confident that their star will rebound when they face the Maple Leafs on Tuesday at Scotiabank Arena.
"He’s one of the best players in the world, and I know he’ll come out tonight and be flying," Bruins center Matthew Poitras said following the team's morning skate on Tuesday. "I feel like he always saves his best for the Leafs. He’ll be great tonight."
While the Bruins have had some recent struggles, they’ve won their last two games, bringing their record to 6-6-1 and positioning them fourth in the Atlantic Division, one point behind the Leafs.
Pastrnak’s last goal came in a 4-3 overtime victory against the Maple Leafs in Boston on Oct. 26. In that game, his close friend William Nylander caught him with a high stick.
"Yeah, we texted a little bit, but it's all good," Nylander said of the incident. The Leafs will be without Auston Matthews, who’s sidelined with an upper-body injury. Nylander will be among those expected to step up against the consistently challenging Bruins team.