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Boston Bruins Forward David Pastrnak Breaking Out

By Brandon Share-Cohen

Oct 13, 2016; Columbus, OH, USA; Boston Bruins left wing David Pastrnak (88) shoots a shot against Columbus Blue Jackets defenseman Ryan Murray (27) and goalie Sergei Bobrovsky (72) in the third period at Nationwide Arena. The Bruins won 6-3. Mandatory Credit: Aaron Doster-USA TODAY Sports
Oct 13, 2016; Columbus, OH, USA; Boston Bruins left wing David Pastrnak (88) shoots a shot against Columbus Blue Jackets defenseman Ryan Murray (27) and goalie Sergei Bobrovsky (72) in the third period at Nationwide Arena. The Bruins won 6-3. Mandatory Credit: Aaron Doster-USA TODAY Sports /
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Boston Bruins Forward David Pastrnak Breaking Out in His Third Season With the Team

The draft process is anything but an exact science. While NHL franchises employ some of the best scouts in the world, there are simply no guarantees when drafting. Although being drafted with the 25th overall selection in the 2014 NHL Entry Draft, David Pastrnak has already played in the third-most games from that class. There are still some players from the 2014 NHL Draft who haven’t even played a game yet. Included in that list are fifth and seventh overall selections Michael Dal Colle and Haydyn Fleury, respectively.

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Finding Pastrnak so late in the first round was invaluable for the Bruins. Though being undersized in 2014, Pastrnak still found himself playing in North America with the Providence Bruins to start the season. His impressive ability with Providence earned himself a call-up to the NHL, and he finished with solid totals in both the NHL and AHL in his age-18 season. In 25 games in the AHL, Pastrnak scored 11 goals and 28 points. At the NHL level, Pastrnak scored 10 goals and 26 points in 51 games – though injuries limited Pastrnak for much of the year.

This season, however, Pastrnak seems to be putting it all together. Now listed as 6 foot 1 and 181 pounds at 20-years-old, the Czech-native looks like a legitimate top-line player. The flashes of brilliance were there in his first two seasons, but the consistency was never there. Though he’s only played in nine games so far this season, Pastrnak’s game has just looked better in every possible way.

Breaking Out in a Big Way

In nine games this season, Pastrnak has already scored seven goals and 10 points as well as a power-play goal – matching his power play points from last season. Even more impressive has been Pastrnak’s shooting percentage at 21.2%. Pastrnak recorded a 10.8 shooting percentage in his first season, a 13.9 shooting percentage in his second season, and while it’s likely to drop slightly, his shooting percentage this season should remain strong.

It is worth noting that Pastrnak has been much better on the road so far this season than at home. In five road games, Pastrnak has scored six goals and eight points as well as a game-winning goal. In four home games, Pastrnak has recorded just one goal and two points. It’s still very early in the season, but those splits are worth keeping an eye on.

Pastrnak is currently projected to record 62 goals and 89 points over the course of 80 games this season. While he almost certainly won’t record those totals, a 25-30 goal season with upwards of 60 points is well within the realm of possibility for Pastrnak.

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As it stands, the Czech-forward has found obvious chemistry alongside Patrice Bergeron and Brad Marchand. As the season continues, Pastrnak should continue to roll along in his first contract year in the NHL.

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