It was an exciting weekend for Jim Montgomery, Linus Ullmark and David Pastrnak, who represented the Boston Bruins in the NHL All-Star Game.
Pastrnak, who had a three-point All-Star Game, went full “Happy Gilmore” in the skills competition with help from Ullmark, who stopped 10 of the 13 shots he faced in the Atlantic Division’s two games Saturday afternoon at FLA Live Arena.
For Ullmark and Montgomery, it was a special moment for them given it was their first nod to the All-Star Game. Montgomery was able to have his son Colin with him on the bench.
“It was special. To joke around with him on the bench and ask him what he was seeing. In the first game, he was like, ‘I would switch up Pastrnak’s line. They’re getting scored on right now,” Montgomery told Bruins reporter Eric Russo. “And we did. We made the switch and every line scored after that.”
Clearly the younger Montgomery has an eye for what works, much like his dad.
Ullmark, who entered the All-Star break with a 26-4-1 record, picked up an assist over the weekend on top of helping the Atlantic Division to victory. While it won’t be recorded in his regular season stats, it still was a fun weekend for the goalie.
“It was great fun. Guys were trying very hard. … They had sticks in the right lanes, all the right stuff,” Ullmark told reporters, per the Bruins. “Almost was like a normal game which makes it a little easier to read but then you’re lucky sometimes as well.”
Oftentimes many think those in the All-Star Game don’t really try because there is nothing on the line in terms of home-ice advantage for your division in the Stanley Cup playoffs, but Ullmark knows winning is enough motivation to make sure each player was giving their all.
“There’s a reason why they’re the best players out there. They don’t like to lose,” he told reporters. “It’s all fun and games, but at the end of the day you still want to be a winner. … As a goalie we just try to stop pucks. We have to try our very best otherwise we would make fools out of ourselves.”
The Bruins still have a few days off before returning to action this weekend as they enjoy a much-deserved break. They host the Washington Capitals on Saturday with a 3:30 p.m. ET puck drop.
