David Pastrnak ‘So Happy’ Tuukka Rask Returned To Play For Bruins

Tuukka Rask on Thursday made his long-awaited return to the net for the Bruins, stopping 25 shots en route to a 3-2 victory for Boston against the Philadelphia Flyers.

And on the offensive end, David Pastrnak did just about everything he could to ensure his longtime teammate’s return to TD Garden was a positive one — scoring all three goals for Boston. That was always part of the plan — Pastrnak claimed he promised his teammate he would score a hat trick.

After the win, the forward — who celebrated Rask’s return with a simple tweet Tuesday — gushed about the goalie’s performance and what it meant to see him back in black and gold.

“Oh man, I was so happy to have him back,” Pastrnak said after the game. “You have no idea. I was ready to go out there for him. I told him ‘I’m gonna get a hat trick,’ before the game and he didn’t believe me.

“It’s really good to have him back. He’s one of my closest friends and I missed him obviously. He was outstanding, the saves he made. Great to have him back.”

Both Pastrnak and Rask have played their entire NHL careers with the Bruins. Rask joined the team in 2007 and Pastrnak made his Bruins debut in 2014.

Here’s to many more from both of them.