David Pastrnak actually was in pass-first mode in the second period of Sunday’s game when he scored his Game 5 goal.
But Nick Jensen and the rest of the Washington Capitals put up an embarrassing display, and the next thing you knew, Pastrnak was dancing through the offensive zone and slipped a puck past Ilya Samsonov.
“I was definitely (surprised I had such a clear path to the net),” Pastrnak said over Zoom after the game. “I was looking for (David) Krejci and (Taylor Hall) and then I just saw a free lane to take it to the net. I tried and it worked this time.”
After a tough start to the series, Pastrnak has found his form. He had goals in Games 4 and 5, with the latter coming in the Bruins’ 3-1 win on Sunday to clinch the series.
Pastrnak and the Bruins now will face the winner of the New York Islanders-Pittsburgh Penguins series.
