Just like the Boston Bruins, David Pastrnak is off to yet another red-hot start.
After Boston lacked in capitalizing on insurance scoring opportunities during its jaw-dropping last-minute overtime loss to the Anaheim Ducks, Pastrnak ensured that the Bruins wouldn’t go down twice in a row — responding in a major way against the Detroit Red Wings on Saturday night.
On his 600th career game, Pastrnak netted not one, but two goals, both unassisted, during Boston’s 4-1 victory over Detroit at TD Garden.
The first, which came on a penalty shot in the third period to put the Bruins ahead, 3-1, saw Pastrnak perform several shot fakes to throw off Detroit goaltender Ville Husso and nail the top right corner of the net with ease.
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Then just minutes later, Pastrnak struck the Red Wings yet again for added precautionary measures.
The 27-year-old stole the puck amid Detroit’s six-on-five desperation attempt and launched it to the other side of the ice, connecting on an empty Red Wings net to provide a second insurance goal for the Bruins.
Another picture-perfect scoring opportunity that Pastrnak made look routinely easy and notched Boston’s first four-goal night of the season.
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Pastrnak himself marked his second multi-goal performance of the season — the first since Opening Night against the Chicago Blackhawks — and rose to second for the goals lead in the NHL with eight total.
“The start was really good for us and even going up to the third we had a lead and we wanted to extend it, obviously,” Pastrnak told reporters, as seen on NESN’s postgame coverage. “They had a push and it’s the NHL and good teams are gonna have their pushes. Last game we lost the lead, we lost the game. Today, they had to push but we won the game.”
Needless to say, Boston and its machine are back on track.
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The Black and Gold improved to an Eastern Conference-best 7-0-1, next set to face off against the Florida Panthers for the first time since last season’s playoff meeting, on Monday night.
Featured image via Winslow Townson/USA TODAY Sports Images
