Boston Bruins Forward David Pastrnak Hits Milestone

Boston Bruins Forward David Pastrnak Hits Milestone With Game-Winning Goal Against the Detroit Red Wings

It’s no longer a secret that Boston Bruins forward David Pastrnak is a good player. At just 20 years old, he’s already demonstrated an immense level of talent that team’s look for when building franchises. With a good skill-set and a good attitude, Pastrnak certainly looks like he’s the future of the Boston Bruins organization.

Tuesday against the Detroit Red Wings, Pastrnak hit a career milestone when he scored the overtime winner for Boston. For the first time in his young career, Pastrnak scored 20 goals in the NHL.

“Definitely it felt good,” Pastrnak said. “But most importantly, we got a big win. Now we can get something going.”

The goal clearly meant more than just a win, but it’s that type of response that makes Pastrnak such a special player. A win is all that matters in professional sports, and while individual accolades are important, they fail in comparison to winning in the grand scheme of things.

Still, there was an added incentive for Pastrnak in scoring the game-winning goal Tuesday. For the first time in his NHL career, his mother Marcela was in attendance to see him score a goal. Making the trip from the Czech Republic for the third time to see Pastrnak play during the mother’s trip, Pastrnak’s mother was rewarded with the best possible gift he could have given her.

“I’m really happy for her,” Pastrnak said. “She was kind of pressing, too.”

Added Pressure Placed on Pastrnak

When Pastrnak scored his 20th goal of the season, a pressure was lifted off of him. It was an internal pressure that was building for weeks, and it was one that his teammates noticed as well.

Torey Krug pointed out how big the goal was for the team moving forward:

“I think he realizes how much pressure he was putting on himself. Sometimes as a young player, you look at those things too much instead of focusing on your game. He’s an important player for our team. We needed him to get that one, not only for a big win but looking forward into the future.”

– Torey Krug

For Pastrnak, this goal is one that he can build on moving forward. There is a lot of time left in the season, and with solid linemates in Patrice Bergeron and Brad Marchand at his side, the sky is the limit. The Bruins need Pastrnak to produce – and though he’s still produced points and strong possession numbers, his ability to take over a game with goals will be key to the team’s success.

The midpoint of the season is approaching, and the Bruins could head into the break on a two-game winning streak. They face a tough test Thursday, however, with the Pittsburgh Penguins in town. The last time these two teams played came last Sunday, and the Penguins squashed the Bruins 5-1. If the Bruins can somehow come away with a victory, they’ll gain some confidence ahead of the second half of the season.