'The problem was mainly mental'
Boston Bruins star David Pastrnak admitted that he’s not exactly satisfied with his performance to begin the 2024-25 campaign.
Pastrnak is leading the Bruins offensively with six goals and eight assists for 14 points, but the forward revealed he doesn’t feel he’s doing enough to help the Black and Gold win games. It could be a product of an injury that stems back to the offseason, according to NHL independent writer Michael Langr.
“I was injured for a month and a half in the summer,” Pastrnak said in an article published in Czech and translated into English. “Not so much physically, because then there was still a lot of time, but the problem was mainly mental. Because in the summer, I normally prepare for the season, and I haven’t been injured for so long.
“And mentally, it’s hard when you can’t work for a month and a half at this stage nothing to do. But I feel better and better with each match.”
While Pastrnak didn’t reveal what injury he suffered, it was reported in Czech after the World Championship that he sustained some sort of ailment, according to WEEI’s Scott McLaughlin.
“I had a couple of bruises and bumps during the summer that I couldn’t train for a little bit, so I had to take a couple of weeks off,” Pastrnak told McLaughlin during Bruins’ training camp in September. “But at the same time, it was kind of lucky timing. It was during my wedding and all that stuff, so it kind of worked out. Obviously not ideal, but now I’m back to 100 percent and glad that I got it over with.”
Pastrnak recorded an assist on Pavel Zacha’s third goal of the season in the Bruins’ overtime loss to the Ottawa Senators on Saturday night at TD Garden.
However, Pastrnak bluntly criticized the team for struggling in the third period. The Black and Gold failed to register a single shot in the final 24 minutes of the game. Pastrnak and the Bruins will look to get back in the win column Tuesday when they travel to St. Louis to take on the Blues.