Kalman: Pastrnak's Maturation Into All-Around Star Saving Bruins' Season
By Matt Kalman
Luckily for the Bruins, forward David Pastrnak has been receptive to the tutelage from coach Claude Julien and the assistant coaches during the first three seasons of the 2014 first-round pick's professional career.
Otherwise Pastrnak wouldn't be skating on the Bruins' first line and leading the team in goals with 15. He reached that total by scoring twice, including the overtime game-winner, in a crucial Atlantic Division 4-3 win against the Florida Panthers at TD Garden on Monday.
"I think he was receptive, but like anybody else when you're being told X number of times the same thing, it does wear on you a little bit," Julien said. "I've had players come up to me 10 years after the fact and say, 'I should have listened to you back then.' But it's a little too late. But it's like raising kids."
Pastrnak, who was selected No. 25 two years ago, is a kid who's been raised right. He always had raw talent. But the Bruins had to mold him into a player that wouldn't hurt them more than help in all three zones. They assigned Pastrnak to Providence of the American Hockey League a couple times. They sent him to the World Junior Championship a couple times. They benched him during games, played him on the fourth line and conveyed their lessons every which way.
Some players entering the NHL at 18 would scoff so much preaching. And Pastrnak admits he wasn't always receptive to the message. Sometimes he had different ideas than the coaches.
"I did my first year. But obviously you have to learn and they are right. That's why they are coaches and you have to respect it," Pastrnak.
Now Pastrnak is blossoming. He's been a perfect fit on the right side of Patrice Bergeron and Brad Marchand. And he's brimming with confidence, as evidenced by his thrilling goal against Panthers goaltender Roberto Luongo in the extra session. Pastrnak noticed David Krejci had time to dangle with the puck. So instead of driving right to the net, Pastrnak left the offensive zone so he could re-enter with speed. Pastrnak then took Krejci's pass in stride, went to the net, got Luongo to drop and flung a wrist shot under the cross bar.
Pastrnak had scored earlier on a one-timer. And despite the Bruins squandering two one-goal leads in the third period, they improved to 4-0-1 in their past five games. It's difficult to gauge how much of the Bruins' surprising 15-10-1 record is a credit to Pastrnak. He's probably their second-most important player after goaltender Tuukka Rask.
Julien said Pastrnak has been the Bruins' best forward since the start of the season. Forward David Backes, who signed with Boston on July 1, has been impressed by his youthful teammate.
"He's been huge for us. He's been finding those areas again. And with his finish, his hands, his confidence, I wouldn't want to be a goalie in there," Backes said.
Pastrnak has matched his goal total from a year ago and three of his goals have been game-winners. A year ago he might not have been in position to win the game for Boston because he had a couple dicey turnovers over the course of the night. The training wheels, however, are off. Pastrnak's been able to minimize the damage done when he gets a little carried away with his creativity. And the coach knows Pastrnak's going to do the right thing more often than not.
"When a guy is creative like that, every once in a while the plays aren't going to work and you're going to get those kind of things," Julien said. "But more than often he's making the great plays, so you work with that."
Julien took offense to the notion that Pastrnak ever had a "rope around him" from the coaching staff. Perhaps Julien takes questions too literally sometimes. The idea that Pastrnak had a rope on him but doesn't now is actually a credit to the work Julien and his staff has done, and to the work Pastrnak has in sync with the coaching.
And Pastrnak's maturation couldn't have come at a better time because it's saving the Bruins' season.
Matt Kalman covers the Bruins for CBSBoston.com and also contributes to NHL.com and several other media outlets. Follow him on Twitter @MattKalman.
