Kalman: Bruins Wisely Putting David Pastrnak To Good Use During Return To Full Health
BOSTON (CBS) -- With a level of speed and skill that convinced the Bruins to draft him 25th overall in 2014 and a maturity level that made it possible for the Bruins to integrate him into their NHL roster as an 18-year-old last season, David Pastrnak has earned his status as a unique talent on Boston's roster.
In the Bruin' 4-1 win against Montreal on Tuesday, Pastrnak's talents surfaced in an unusual way.
Bruins coach Claude Julien said after practice Wednesday that he knew Pastrnak, who had missed three games with an upper-body injury, wasn't 100 percent healthy. But still Julien believed Pastrnak could be an "asset" against the speedy Canadiens and so he dressed the native of the Czech Republic with the intention of using him sparingly.
Julien's hunch was correct, as Pastrnak had one goal and one assist. But more impressive than the coach's decision was the way the second-year player was able to play a season-low 7:05 and still produce.
Players of Pastrnak's caliber don't usually go so long between shifts, but he figured out how to stay loose and ready for when the Bruins' bench called his name.
"I was skating every single timeout," he said. "So I was trying to be positive on the bench and then once we had a timeout, then I went to the ice to skate."
Pastrnak took only eight shifts all game. When he scored the Bruins' third goal at 12:14 of the third period, he hadn't gotten on the ice in the last session. If overcoming obstacles accelerates development in a young player, Pastrnak is thriving.
Not only was his ice time scarce, most of it was spent playing alongside fourth-liners Max Talbot and Zac Rinaldo. Of course, neither player was in fourth-line mode against Montreal. Talbot scored his first goal since Dec. 16 and Rinaldo set up Pastrnak's goal. Both players continued to dominate on the forecheck and for the first time since their recent stretch of strong play started, they were rewarded for the numerous scoring chances they created.
Pastrnak already showed last season that he could play with an edge when needed and could take a licking against bigger players. He's pretty relentless on the backcheck. Still playing some fourth-line minutes could have been valuable, especially if an ailment was limiting his ability to play at his absolute best.
"Definitely it's different hockey," Pastrnak said. "But how I said before the game, I don't really care who I play with, I'm always trying to fit in on the line and kind of trying to read what's expected from that line and stuff like that."
Julien's wise decision to work Pastrnak back into the lineup during a crucial game rather than waiting until the player was at full strength paid off. It only makes it more ridiculous that when Pastrnak was working his way back after a seven-week absence with a foot injury, the Bruins shipped him to Providence of the AHL for a conditioning assignment and then sent him to the World Junior Championship in Finland while they were starving for scoring. That was no way to handle a player who started the season in the NHL and in the second half of last season was one of the Bruins' most important players down the stretch.
Pastrnak now has four goals and three assists in 14 games. He has four more games before the All-Star break to shake off some more rust. When he's able to play top-six minutes again, it'll be like the Bruins have acquired a stud forward at the trade deadline. Combined with the return of David Krejci, Pastrnak's improvement will allow general manager Don Sweeney to focus on improving his defense through trades without worrying about his offense.
The Bruins took a roundabout way to get Pastrnak on the current path, but now they have him on the one that makes the most sense for developing a player already in the second half of the second year of his entry-level contract and for helping the team maintain its spot among the top eight playoff teams in the Eastern Conference.
Matt Kalman covers the Bruins for CBSBoston.com and also contributes to NHL.com and several other media outlets. Follow him on Twitter @TheBruinsBlog.