David Pastrnak's response to his first preseason game should ease Bruins' fans fears

When the Boston Bruins began training camp nearly two weeks ago, general manager Don Sweeney revealed on the first day that he met with the media that star forward David Pastrnak was going to miss some time while recovering from an injury.

He did not go into detail about what his superstar was dealing with, but it was later revealed that he had tendinitis in one of his knees. That's not good, but it was apparently something that he had been dealing with in the offseason. Boston was getting out in front of the injury and easing him into practices as camp went along.

On Monday, the Bruins dropped their gameday players for their fourth preseason out of six, this one against the Philadelphia Flyers at the TD Garden. It was a roster that included a lot of expected regulars this season, including Pastrnak and goalie Jermey Swayman. Both players were getting their first action in the preseason, and it made the game that much important for Black and Gold fans.

When the dust settled, the Flyers earned a preseason split with the Bruins, winning 3-2 in a shootout, after Boston won 4-3 in Philadelphia on Saturday. After the game, all fans were wondering how Pastrnak was feeling, and it was a sigh of relief what he said.

David Pastrnak reveals how he feels after first preseason game

First-year coach Marco Sturm treated it as a regular-season game for his star. Pastrnak finished with an assist in 19:35 in time on ice with two shots on the net and four hits. He had his shootout attempt stopped by former Boston goalie Dan Vladar. So, how did Pastrnak feel after the game?

"I had so much fun out there, honestly,'' said Pastrnak. "It’s been a long summer, so today was a perfect reminder of how much I love the game. I enjoy it. When I feel like I did today, I know I can do a lot of things."

Sturm played his first line together with Pastrnak, Elias Lindholm, and Morgan Geekie. Pastrnak was on the ice for both Bruins goals, setting up Sean Kuraly in the second period to tie the game 1-1, and he was on the ice when Geekie tied the game at 2 in the third period, although he did not pick up a point on the goal.

The line looked good, and if they can stay healthy and play like that this year, it could be a big year for all three players. Regardless of the outcome on the scoreboard, it was a win for the Bruins having Pastrnak play and play th way he did after missing the early part of camp with knee tendinitis.