Patrice Bergeron and Brad Marchand are not the only slumping Bruins. David Pastrnak is another name on the Bruins list of key players having some playoff troubles.
A quick look at Pastrnak’s numbers—three goals and four assist in nine games—may lead to you believe something different, but Pastrnak has not been himself in the Stanley Cup Playoffs.
“To me, I still think he’s indecisive whether to shoot or pass,… head coach Bruce Cassidy said following the Bruins Game 2 double-overtime loss. “You’d see it on the power play; when it looks like he should shoot, he makes a play. And then when the opportunity is there to make a play, it’s forced. He’s just gotta fight his way through it.…
In an attempt to help Pastrnak “fight his way through it,… Cassidy has moved Pastrnak up and down the lineup, appearing on each of the Bruins top three lines throughout the postseason.
On Saturday, Pastrnak spent 3:30 of five-on-five time with Charlie Coyle and Marcus Johansson after continuing to have his issues on the Patrice Bergeron and David Krejci lines.
The three only produced one shot together while on the ice, but that one shot did result in a goal, albeit a wraparound attempt by Coyle that went in off of Pastrnak’s skate. Even though it was not the type of goal we’ve come accustomed to seeing from Pastrnak, when you’re slumping like he is, you’ll take a goal anyway you can get it.
“Well he got a goal tonight going to the net. I don’t know if he scored it or Charlie, whatever. But that’s a start. Had a couple of good forecheck hits, so sometimes you’ve got to bring something else in this game,… added Cassidy.
As the Bruins hit the ice Monday for their first practice since their loss in Game 2, Pastrnak skated with Coyle and Johansson. Cassidy wouldn’t reveal if that was his Game 3 plan, but it sounds like it’s a real possibility.
“He played some with Johansson and Coyle the other night and I don’t think he’s practiced with them ever,… added Cassidy. “So if we’re going to go down that road then it wouldn’t hurt to get some reps. We will make that decision tomorrow. We like to move our players on the wing around as you know, so we could end up with Bergeron, Krejci, or Coyle.…
With any of the first three lines a possibility, Cassidy did rule out Pastrnak playing on the Bruins’ fourth line.
“I'm not gonna play him with Kuraly, I'll let that cat out of the bag, but he could end up with any one of the other ones," said Cassidy.
If Cassidy does indeed role Pastrnak out on the third line, the line will have a style to it that we haven’t yet seen from that line. Combining Pastrnak, the shooter, with Coyle and Johansson who both like to dish the puck and make plays happen could be the spark that lights Pastrnak’s fire.
"You might see a little more line-rush play as a result of that than forecheck," Cassidy said of his potential third line.
"We really like Charlie's puck possession in the O-zone, so Pasta's gonna have to find his spots there. It's just a matter of finding his spots, when Charlie likes to dish it. [Johansson] loves to make plays. To have a shooter over there should excite him. If that ends up a line, we'll see."
To me, Pastrnak is doing things he often does not do. Usually smart with the puck, I feel like Pastrnak’s decision-making has been off, as he’s been trying to do too much. After a career-high 38 regular season goals, there’s been a lot of panic surrounding Pastrnak’s struggles.
But the 22-year old is one that is not worried.
“I don’t know, I think you guys (the media) are making a bigger picture out of it,… Pastrnak said. “I’m just trying my best, and, you know, at the end of the day we’re still winning and the series is 1-1. So my focus is to just help the team win every game and play well every shift I’m on the ice.…
The chances have been there for Pastrnak in his nine playoff games. Sometimes he’s connected on them, while at times he’s passed when he needed to shoot, or shoot when he needed to pass. For a player with the talent Pastrnak has, a fix should be pretty simple.
“I get some of the looks and maybe I pass on some, but yeah, just stick with it and go to the net. I obviously have to shoot more pucks and go to the net, hang on to the puck a bit more,… said Pastrnak. “There’s a million things that you can always do better. Just try doing it [Tuesday].…
With where Pastrnak fits in still up in the air, Cassidy did confirm Tuesday morning that Karson Kuhlman will draw back into the lineup for Chris Wagner. With Kuhlman back in, it sounds like the second line is where he will begin the night.
“[Kuhlman] has played well with Krejci and DeBrusk. When he’s on that line I think DeBrusk looks to his own offense and to shoot more, so that’s some of the thinking,… said Cassidy. “When Pastrnak is over there, there might be some deferring. So that’s why we put [Kuhlman] in there originally. We may go back to that.…
Cassidy has a tendency to push the right buttons at the right time. With a Pastrnak move to the third line and Kuhlman back in the lineup, Cassidy hopes two more correct buttons have been pressed.