Boston Bruins forward David Pastrnak was benched for the entirety of the third period in Sunday’s 3-2 victory over the Seattle Kraken due to a turnover he committed earlier in the game. Despite the setback, Pastrnak emphasized that he is focused on moving forward.
“That was a bad turnover … I just want to move forward,” Pastrnak said on Monday, as reported by Conor Ryan of Boston.com. “I don’t want to be any distraction to our team. The guys know how I feel about them here. It’s a bad play. I take accountability and already moving forward.”
Head coach Jim Montgomery confirmed that the decision to bench Pastrnak was made by the coaching staff but declined to provide further details.
Pastrnak played 14:21 in the first two periods of the game, recording seven shots, two giveaways, and one block. His night ended prematurely after the turnover in the third period. Prior to the game, Pastrnak was the Bruins’ leading scorer with 11 points in 12 games but had gone goalless in his last three appearances.
While Pastrnak leads the team with 23 giveaways this season, it is worth noting that players with the puck most frequently, like Pastrnak, tend to accumulate higher giveaway numbers.
Montgomery has previously called on Pastrnak to step up in critical moments. Following Game 6 of last season’s Round 1 playoff series against the Toronto Maple Leafs, Montgomery challenged Pastrnak, who responded with the series-winning goal in overtime of Game 7.
The Bruins will face the Toronto Maple Leafs in their next game on Tuesday. Pastrnak’s teammates are confident that he will be ready to bounce back.
“I’m looking forward to seeing him in Toronto,” defenseman Charlie McAvoy said, according to The Athletic’s Fluto Shinzawa. “I think he’s going to have a great game.”
McAvoy also emphasized Pastrnak’s importance to the team: “He’s one of the most important players on our team. He’s an assistant captain here. He’s so vital to this group. The only thing that matters is us getting two points. I know the way he prepares and the success he wants to have and how much of a competitor he is. Toronto, we can shift the focus. … There’s no time to wallow around.”
With Sunday’s win, the Bruins improved to a 6-6-1 record on the season.
