Reclaiming His Spot at the Top
David “Pasta” Pastrnak a Goal-Getter
Bostonbruinsfan22, via Wikimedia Commons
Bruins right winger David Pastrnak at practice on September 13, 2019 at Warrior Ice Arena in Brighton, MA
There are some players in the National Hockey League that perform consistently, putting up strong performances game after game. They set examples for their teammates, boost everyone up when necessary, and shine on and off the ice.
David Pastrnak, a right winger for the Boston Bruins, has not only been consistent, but he is having one of the best seasons of his career.
Hailing from Havířov, a town in the east Czech Republic, Pastrnak’s love of hockey began when his father Milan, who died of cancer in 2013, had a dream for him to play in the NHL. That dream came true when the Boston Bruins drafted Pastrnak 25th overall in 2014.
When Pastrnak scored his third of the night, the crowd went wild.
— Maria Wood
His NHL debut had the same explosiveness he plays with today, a sure sign of things to come for the young star. On Jan. 10, 2015, he scored not just one, but two of his first career points against the Philadelphia Flyers.
A little over two months later on Mar. 29, Pastrnak became the youngest player in franchise history to score an OT game-winner at 18 years old.
All of that talent at such a young age transitioned to his succeeding seasons. Pastrnak’s skills increased as he got older, scoring a career-high 38 goals in his most recent season (2018-19).
That statistic was impressive, considering he and the Bruins made it all the way to the Stanley Cup Final last year. Little did fans know that he would go even further a year later.
As of right now, Pastrnak leads the NHL with a total of 41 goals scored. He is followed closely behind by Toronto Maple Leafs center Auston Matthews and Washington Capitals left winger Alex Ovechkin, with 40 apiece. These three players along with New York Islanders center Leon Draisaitl have been topping the leaderboard all season long.
Pastrnak’s situation is a little different, though. This season, he has either tied for or had the lead goals scored for 110 days straight. Considering he’s only 23 years old, that feat is all the more awe-inspiring.
Perhaps the most noteworthy part of “Pasta’s” season so far is the way he recently reclaimed his spot at the top of the leaderboard. On Wednesday, Feb. 12, he recorded his fourth hat trick of the season against the Bruins’ historic rival, the Montreal Canadiens. He had been trailing behind the aforementioned Matthews and Ovechkin at the start of the night, with a career-high tying 38 goals. Pastrnak quickly changed that by scoring a beast of a goal early in the first period, and then struck again early in the second. The entirety of TD Garden knew that if he scored again, he’d have it.
When Pastrnak scored his third of the night, the crowd went wild. Their star had shone again. Hats flew onto the ice, celebrating his accomplishment. There wasn’t a single Bruins fan in the arena that wasn’t excited for the star right winger.
His skill on the ice hasn’t gone unnoticed by the NHL, either. This past January, Pastrnak captained the Atlantic Division All-Star Team, and made his mark in St. Louis by scoring 4 goals and recording 2 assists for a 6 point night. The Atlantic Division team lost to the Pacific Division in the final, but Pastrnak was chosen as MVP by the fans and won with 36% of the total votes.
Pastrnak is aiming to extend his goals-scored lead throughout the rest of this season. With 24 games left in the regular season, and playoffs in sight afterward, Pasta’s goal is in reach.
Maria Wood is a member of the Class of 2022. This is her third year on the Green Wave Gazette since she joined as a freshman. During March of her sophomore...
