Boston Bruins forward David Pastrnak is on pace for his best season yet. Not bad news for a guy who is headed for unrestricted free agency.
Sunday was just the latest example of Pasta's greatness, as the 26-year-old lit the lamp three times in Boston's 7-1 road win over the putrid Anaheim Ducks at Honda Center.
Pastrnak had four points on the night, pitching in an assist while logging his 13th-career hat trick -- scoring all four of his points just three minutes past the halfway point in the game. His dominant offensive showing came alongside fellow Czech natives David Krejci and Pavel Zacha, who racked up points due to their fellow countryman's great performance.
"I'd call him an artist," Bruins coach Jim Montgomery told NESN's Jack Edwards and Andy Brickley on the network's postgame coverage. "because he's so creative and finds different ways to take you out of your seat when you're watching him."
Pastrnak took full advantage of Boston's matchup with Anaheim, as the Ducks entered with a real chance of finishing this season with the NHL's worst record
"We are all playing together," Pastrnak told NESN's Sophia Jurksztowicz on the network's postgame coverage. "We're playing well. We're a heck of a team. Since the first game, every line is doing its part and we're all playing well. Winning makes it way easier to have fun."
Sitting with a 32-4-4 record through 40 games, it would be hard not to have fun.
Here are more notes from Sunday's Bruins-Ducks game:
-- In defeating the Ducks, the Bruins became the first team since 1945 to secure 32 wins in their first 40 games, per ESPN Stats and Information.
-- The Bruins may want to thank captain Patrice Bergeron at some point this week for his cagey negotiating skills.
"Before the game, Bergy said, 'If we sweep this road trip we should have two days off,' " Montgomery said postgame. "I said, 'Two points gets you two days off.' So there will be two days off coming."
-- Bergeron picked up his 600th career assist on Pastrnak's second goal of the night. That moved him into fourth place on the Bruins' all-time list.
-- The Bruins will return to TD Garden on Thursday after an extended break. They will host the Seattle Kraken for just the second time ever, with puck drop scheduled for 7 p.m. ET. You can watch the game, plus an hour of pregame coverage, on NESN.
