BOSTON – Coming off an epic 11-game point streak where he crossed over the 30-goal plateau, David Pastrnak seemed to be at the very height of his considerable offensive powers.
But Pastrnak has gone offensively silent in the last couple of big, important games against the Maple Leafs and Senators, and had as many giveaways as shots on net (three) in the B’s 3-2 loss to Ottawa at TD Garden on Tuesday night. At times it seemed like Pastrnak was alternating between forcing plays that weren’t there and settling for lesser offensive chances, and Bruce Cassidy put the 20-year-old with Patrice Bergeron and Brad Marchand later in the game hoping to spark his young winger.
It didn’t work this time around, but Cassidy said at this point the Bruins need to rely on offense from guys like Pastrnak and Brad Marchand (who went mostly silent in the last two games as well) if they’re going to find success in these pivotal games.
“I don’t know if frustrated is the right word [with Pastrnak]. It looks like the puck’s not cooperating with him and that happens to goal scorers so he’s just going to have to play through it. He did earlier this year. Clearly we don’t want [the offensive down period] to be as extended as it was then, and I don’t think it will be,” said Cassidy. “He’s a more mature player and person but he’ll have to find his way through it. Sometimes you have to score an ugly goal, get a greasy one to get out of those things.
We’ll see how it plays out but he’s got to keep pushing -- we need him. We’re relying on him to score. He’s not the only guy, but we’re relying on him.”
For his part, Pastrnak knows that he’s become an important offensive cog on this Bruins team, and that he needs to come through in the big moments. That’s part of the deal when you’re on pace for 36 goals and 73 points as a mere 20-year-old player in the NHL, and much is expected from one to which much was given.
“I’ve got to be better and I’ve got to make more plays and be better. I’ve got to be better,” vowed Pastrnak, who has five shots on net and a minus-3 rating in those last two losses. “It’s part of the game, you know? The guys are going to hit [you around the net]. I just need to stick with it and not let it frustrate me.”
Boston Bruins
Pastrnak did show a wee bit of frustration when he helped escalate a brouhaha between Ottawa and Bruins players as the final buzzer sounded, but that’s not such a bad, thing when players are a little steamed after a couple of big losses. The hope for the Bruins is that Pastrnak can find a way to transform that emotion in offense for a Black and Gold group that needs to start banking wins again with only nine games to go in the regular season.