3-On-3 Overtime Might Be Made For Pastrnak, Bruins
BOSTON (CBS) - Bruins forward David Pastrnak is a quick learner.
He proved that with his game-winning goal 12 seconds into the 3-on-3 overtime Tuesday in a 2-1 preseason win against the Washington Capitals at TD Garden.
"I actually watched Washington [Monday] night," Pastrnak said after the game. "I saw their 2-on-1 and missed the net and then a guy scored on the rush. So all I was focusing on was to hit the net."
The Capitals beat the Carolina Hurricanes 2-0 on Monday but then played the 3-on-3 overtime as part of the NHL's gimmick to give teams the chance to practice it and give fans a chance to see it. After Evgeny Kuznetzov missed the net at one end, the Hurricanes ended the period with a goal on a 3-on-1 back the other way.
The 19-year-old Pastrnak did not make the same mistake, as he buried David Krejci's feed on a 2-on-1 for his second goal of the night and the victory. These types of results are what the NHL was hoping to create when they passed the rule to reduce the manpower in overtime from 4-on-4 to 3-on-3. The more open ice there is, the more chances there will be a goal and the less we should see of the shootout, which is hated by just about everyone in the sport except for the ones that had the idea to adopt it and refuse to admit they were wrong about its value.
Bruins coach Claude Julien hates the shootout. He's not shy about expressing that. He went with Pastrnak, Krejci and defenseman Torey Krug as his three skaters. But during the season don't be surprised if Julien puts three forwards on the ice in an effort to get the extra point without having to participate in the post-overtime spectacle. Responsible forwards like Patrice Bergeron and Loui Eriksson will allow Julien to be aggressive. The coach also might not have much time to execute strategies if Pastrnak can continue to work his magic in the open ice.
The important thing is that now more games should be decided by actual hockey and not a skills competition. The Bruins were 4-10 in shootouts last season. That contributed to them missing the playoffs by two points.
Even if the 3-on-3 is a little unorthodox, center Chris Kelly is a fan of it more than the shootout.
"Exactly. It still took a lot of skill to make four passes and David to throw a nice saucer pass over to Dave and put it in," Kelly said.
Krug should get plenty of chances to flaunt his offensive skills in the 3-on-3. In addition to being a player that will have a change to produce some heroics, he's excited about it as a fan of the game.
"I think more than anything, we're curious to see the different strategies that take place," Krug said. "You talk about guys who played in the AHL, what they've seen over the course of the past year. Whether it's leaving a guy a little bit higher, almost like cherry-picking a little bit, or playing just 3-on-2 in zone and leaving that guy out there, just different strategies. We'll see how aggressive teams get with it, and I hope that we're on the winning side of a lot of those."
With his speed and creativity, Pastrnak should be a natural selection to get a lot of ice time in the 3-on-3. Of course the second-year pro will have to continue to improve his all-around game in order to be a fixture in the Bruins' lineup. During his brief chats with the media this training camp Pastrnak has sounded more like a grounded veteran than a cocky teenager. That attitude will earn him the respect of his coach and teammates and make it easier for him to be a cornerstone of the franchise.
He's not even letting his dramatics from Tuesday give him a swelled head.
"Yeah, you know, things don't go well every time, but the thing is that we have to focus on playing good, 3-on-3, holding the puck, and having good chances," he said. "Not every game we're going to score first shift so we still have to work on it."
Matt Kalman covers the Bruins for CBSBoston.com and also contributes to NHL.com and several other media outlets. Follow him on Twitter @TheBruinsBlog.
