Last year was a struggle for the Boston Bruins. The B’s had massive holes in their roster due to a series of injuries. To compensate for those losses, the Bruins organization recalled Providence Bruins forward David Pastrnak back to Boston. Pastrnak breathed life back into the organization with his solid play.
Pastrnak made a solid impact in Boston. The Bruins liked his work so much they chose to burn a year off his entry-level contract. (That could bite them in the backside later, but that’s a topic for another day.)
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The young Czech forward is looking forward to his second season with the Bruins. He knows there is a big change coming into the team this season. Last season, he was a call-up that ended up with the team. This year, he’s a bankable player that should have another solid season with the Bruins.
“It’s a big difference last year,” Pastrnak said following Tuesday’s captain’s practice at Ristuccia Arena. “I feel a little bit more confident in the locker room and on the ice, and I think it helps me. Last year, I was coming here and I didn’t know anyone; now, I’m coming here and I have some friends here, so it’s making it easier — everything, all around. So I feel really good.”
Pastrnak’s goals for the 2015-16 season are simple. First, he wants to make the team. That seems like a given for a player like David Pastrnak, but he’s leaving nothing to chance. “It’s hockey,” he said. “You never know what’s going to happen in the league, and we just need to focus on ourselves and work hard every day and get better.”
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Second, he wants to play with fellow Czech native David Krejci. Pastrnak and fellow Providence call up Ryan Spooner became two of the Bruins best scorer’s last season. They even helped Milan Lucic find that elusive extra gear he had been missing for most of the season. As long as Krejci is healthy, putting the two of them together could spark some major production for the Black and Gold.
“We have country chemistry and we have on-the-ice chemistry,” said Pastrnak of the Bruins alternate captain. “I would love to play with Krech. It’s something different when you can play with a player like Krejci.”
Putting Krejci and Pastrnak together makes a lot of sense. They’d make a solid contribution to the team, and could help the Bruins climb back into playoff contention. They’re both top-six forwards, and the Bruins would be smart to put these two players together.