Plus/Minus: Pastrnak Making Decision Easy For Bruins
BOSTON (CBS) -- The Boston Bruins are heating up, picking up their fourth straight victory with a 4-3 win over the Tampa Bay Lightning on Tuesday night.
Rookie David Pastrnak was the story once again, scoring two goals for the second straight game. With eight NHL games under his belt so far this season, the Bruins have just one more game to decide whether or not to burn the first year of his entry-level contract, or send him back to the minors.
98.5 The Sports Hub's Adam Jones broke down Tuesday night's win with Dave Goucher and Bob Beers after the game, who say Pastrnak is making that decision very easy for the Bruins.
"Some of the things he has brought to this team offensively are things we haven't seen all year; his speed, his ability to get shots off, his creativity, his vision on the ice for a young guy," said Goucher. "There has been all this talk about that void on the right side of (David) Krejci and (Milan) Lucic. They've tried a lot of players up there, and none of it has really worked. There was talk of trades, and that never happened. Maybe they found an answer just after the halfway point of the year [in Pastrnak]."
"The biggest question is, can he help this team? Can he help this team and not be affected in the long run for being thrown in the fire right away?" asked Beers. "If you're in a position that you have to make a choice, he's making the choice easy."
More from Goucher & Beers on Tuesday's win:
Jones also goes over the Plus/Minus from Tuesday night's win:
Plus
David Pastrnak
Scored two goals Saturday in Philadelphia, and followed it up with two more goals Tuesday night.
"Two goals, seven shots on goal, he also hit a post and drew a penalty, which the Bruins scored on anyways. The plus-four in this game, just an eye-opening performance," said Jones. "His first goal came off an incredible individual effort, blazing down the left side of the ice on a give-and-go with Milan Lucic. His second goal of the night was a rebound and a wrap-around on Ben Bishop.
"He's up to four goals and five points on the season. One more game for the Bruins to decide whether to burn that entry level year on his contract, but I think it's pretty clear after these last two games that David Pastrnak isn't going anywhere," said Jones. "I think he stays on that top line with Milan Lucic and David Krejci."
David Krejci & Milan Lucic
Krejci was a plus-three with two assists, while Lucic scored his ninth goal of the season and added an assist.
"It looks like [Lucic] is re-engaged since Krejci has checked back into the lineup. It's been a big, big difference for the Bruins," said Jones, noting the B's are 8-2-3 with Krejci in lineup.
Carl Soderberg
He created Brad Marchand's goal in first period.
Minus
Tuukka Rask
Gave up a big fat rebound that led to a Steve Stamkos goal, and got beat five-hole on Stamkos' second goal.
Patrice Bergeron
Was a minus-two on the night, and was on the ice for both Stamkos goals.
Zdeno Chara
Tussled with Lightning's Cedric Paquette shortly after Boston took a two-goal lead early in the third period. The Lightning were looking for build any kind of momentum, and Chara was given four extra penalty minutes for roughing.
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