The 27-year-old Bruins forward has returned to his roots and become a top assist man, tying for ninth in the league with 39 and on pace for a career high.
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TORONTO — David Pastrnak likes apples, too.
The Bruins All-Star right wing, known for his ability to score goals like it’s nobody’s business, has continued to do just that — he has 33 in 49 games.
This season, however, it hasn’t just been about putting the biscuit in the basket. He’s also been feeding his teammates at an impressive clip, amassing 39 assists (a.k.a. apples in hockey parlance).
It may be a surprising development to most, but not to Pastrnak, in town for his fourth career All-Star Game appearance.
“I guess they just started burying the goals finally after my passes now,” said Pastrnak, playfully chiding his teammates. “No, I’m not surprised at all. I know my hockey IQ was always there. It was always there before any of my shots or one-timers came. My hockey IQ growing up, I was always a passer/playmaker. I’ve never scored more goals than I had apples until I came to the NHL, so I’m not surprised at all.”
“I’m more surprised about the goal scorer I became and obviously happy because scoring goals is addictive,” said Pastrnak, who has 334 goals in 641 regular-season games. “I love scoring goals, so it’s amazing. But more if I have to pick, I’m definitely more surprised about the goal scorer I’ve become than the playmaker.”
Fresh off a season in which he collected career highs in goals (61) and points (113), many predicted a dip in production, especially with the retirements of his two main setup men: Patrice Bergeron and David Krejci.
Instead, Pastrnak has turned his game up a notch and is on pace for 120 points. He knew the burden to produce would be there and he embraced it.
“I think it’s just his mentality that he loves the pressure of having to lead us offensively and just how much better he’s gotten. He’s a much better hockey player this year than last year,” said coach Jim Montgomery. “It’s 200-foot-wise. It’s how now he’s carrying the puck more. He’s hanging onto the puck more; he used to dart in and out, now he’s kind of like the guy that drives the play.”
Pastrnak’s done it all while seamlessly getting used to and comfortable with new linemates. As he pointed out, you can’t just show up and be the same player when the guys you’re skating with change. You must change, too.
“Yeah, I definitely adjust my game a lot when I play. I’m used to it because when I played with Bergy and Marchy [Brad Marchand], it would be such a fast game. They like to play fast,” said Pastrnak of the famed Perfection Line. “And then when I played Krech, he would like to slow the game down. So, I had never had a problem with that.”
This season Pastrnak has had to adjust to a couple of new centers, first Pavel Zacha and more recently Charlie Coyle.
“With Pav, I played previously, but he was always on the wing. This is the first time he’s at center, so there were some adjustments we had to make and I am still honestly learning with Pav at center, and we work on it every day,” he said. “So yeah, there are always new linemates. Same with Charlie. With Charlie, I’ve only played two or three games and didn’t have much practice, so I didn’t get much time to work yet.”
Not only has Pastrnak been counted on to fill up the scoresheet, but he’s also helped fill the leadership void, being named an alternate captain for the first time.
“Knowing that I have to have a voice a little bit more in the locker room than past years. I was always the same on the ice and on the bench. I spoke up when I feel like I should on the bench, but in the room, I would never speak up because we had leaders like Bergy, previously Z [Zdeno Chara], Marchy always, [Nick] Foligno, David Backes. Previously, there were always a lot of voices in the locker room,” saidthe 27-year-old.
“This year obviously we lost some of the voices in the locker room. So, I know it’s been amazing and there’s a lot of guys who stepped up and anybody can speak up in the locker room, so it’s amazing. So that’s probably my only change — that I definitely try to speak up ands hear my voice a little bit more in the locker room between periods than in the past.”
Montgomery has been impressed with the leadership Pastrnak has displayed.
“I see someone who understands that now, what he does every day besides in games, matters,” said the coach. “And it’s nice to see him want to be a role model for the other players, and Marchy needed that kind of help from him and Mac [Charlie McAvoy].”
Despite the added responsibilities, Pastrnak has been playing what fellow All-Star Igor Shesterkin called “relaxed” hockey.
“He’s [a] special player. He looks like relaxed and … sometimes it feels like he doesn’t want to score,” the Rangers goalie said of Pastrnak passing instead, “and it happens. When you don’t think about it, that’s when it can happen. You have to be ready for anything when he’s on the ice.”
Pastrnak said Shesterkin’s scouting report is right on target.
“Yeah, because soon as I am not relaxed, that’s when I start making mistakes,” he said. “That’s when I don’t feel well, don’t play well. So yeah, I know I have to enjoy it, have to have fun, and be relaxed.”
Of all his new roles, the one Pastrnak enjoys most is being a dad to his daughter, Freya, born last June. She stole the show at his All-Star press conference and will sometimes show up at TD Garden for pregame warm-ups.
“It’s great. I enjoy every second of it. I love playing with her. It’s just watching her grow and change every single week,” he said. “It’s crazy how they’re so small, but they change so much, so quickly and growing and every day; every week there’s a new thing she does that she didn’t do the week before. So, I think that’s my favorite so far.”
