While the Boston Bruins missed David Pastrnak for five games with an injury, they were able to go 3-2-0, which kept them in the thick of the Eastern Conference compacted standings. On Boston's current three-game road trip, he made his way back into the lineup on Tuesday night against the St. Louis Blues on the first stop.
As is the case with most players when they return from injuries, you expect them to ease their way back in. Not David Pastrnak.
He was slotted in on the third line with Marat Khusnutdinov and Fraser Minten. Not a lot of superstars might be happy being slotted down in the bottom-six upon their return from an injury, but Pastrnak has thrived in the role through two games.
He picked up three assists in the Bruins' 5-2 win over the Blues. Believe it or not, he outdid himself 48 hours later against the Winnipeg Jets.
David Pastrnak continues scoring outburst in return to lineup
If you didn't think Pastrnak could top his performance from Tuesday night, guess again. In Boston's 6-3 win over the Jets, Pastrnak had two goals and two assists. After the game, head coach Marco Sturm didn't beat around the bush when it came to his star's success in the last two games.
“He’s a pretty good hockey player,” Sturm said. “He’s a special player. And only those kinds of players can do it.”
He's not wrong. He opened the scoring with a power play goal with a snipe from the right circle to tie the game 1-1. In the second period, he picked up his first assist when Hampus Lindholm scored on a slap shot from the point for a 4-2 lead.
He wasn't done. He made a beautiful pass to Elias Lindholm late in the third period with the Black and Gold clinging to a 4-3 lead, and Elias Lindholm scored. Pastrnak, after several attempts to get Morgan Geekie a goal in a return to the area where he grew up, sealed the win with an empty-net goal with 1:56 left in the game.
Losing Pastrnak to was a tough blow, but he has been much better than everyone thought he would be and doing things only special players can do. Now the question is, can he keep it going? We'll find out on Sunday night agaisnt the Minnesota Wild on the final stop of their three-game road trip.