Tag Archives: Pastrnak

PASTRNAK: Bruins and NHL Superstar on the Rise

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David Pastrnak is the superstar that Bruins and NHL fans adore.

Photo courtesy:
NHL.com

Whether it is his highlight goals or the pregame camaraderie he has with fans. He is must watch hockey and a personality that is making his popularity grow within the NHL.

His most recent goal versus the Oilers is just another example of his offensive skill and talent when it comes to putting the puck in the net and also having the fans raise to their feet as the excitement builds up of another highlight goal. He seems to always have one or two memorable goals a year. Whether it’s his end to end rushes or his stick-handling in traffic, you know if 88 in black and gold has the puck in space the possibilities are endless of his ability to score..

Great as a teammate 

His coaches have mentioned this off-season he had trained and practicing hard on his defensive duties. He is a player that understands the harder he works to round out his game the more important he will be for his teammates on the ice and also in a leadership role to the younger players on the team. David also has the personality where he always has a smile on his face and does what he can to keep the room in an upbeat mode regardless the situation.

A fan favorite 

Photo courtesy:
Bruins.com

As has been mentioned, during pregame skate he always finds fans along the boards to take pictures and have fun with whether it be a home or road game. Pastrnak also makes sure when he does score a goal to make the fans part of his celebration whether it be a hand to his ear or jumping on the glass with excitement.

There are many Pastrnak #88 jerseys around and with his ability and personality be sure to jump on the wagon now before he becomes an NHL superstar.

Photo courtesy:
Bruins.com

Follow on Twitter: @SOURCEFRIAS 

 

Patrice Bergeron Hasn’t Missed a Beat

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Patrice Bergeron is one of the premier two-way centers in the NHL. He values the defensive side of his game just as much as the stat line, and sometimes that means blocking a shot. This led to a fractured right foot which sidelined him for a month, but Bergeron is back in full form just in time for the playoffs.

Back in Black

He was slotted back into the lineup while in Minnesota and wasted no time making his presence known. Three minutes into the second period, Bergeron fed Pastrnak a perfect one-time pass in the high slot. Pasta tee’d it up and ripped a slap shot past Stalock for his 30th goal of the season. The scorecard read “Pastrnak assisted by Bergeron and Marchand”, so it doesn’t seem like much changed in a month. Later he assisted on Marchand’s fifth overtime winner- another common occurrence.

(Bruins, MA 12/23/17) Boston Bruins center Patrice Bergeron #37 celebrates his goal in the third period of the Boston Bruins vs. the Detroit Red Wings at the TD Garden. Saturday, December 23, 2017. Staff photo by John Wilcox.

His play against Tampa offered even more proof that Bergeron hasn’t missed a beat. He finished the night with three points and scored his first goal since returning to the lineup. Bergeron came out from behind the net and was the beneficiary of a beautiful tic-tac-toe play. The puck went from the tape of Marchand, to Krug, to Bergeron, to twine in a matter of seconds. This was one of the biggest wins of the year for Boston and propelled them into first place.

Bergeron continued his prominent return with another tally against the surging Florida Panthers. He extended his goal scoring streak the very next day against the Flyers. With only seconds remaining, Bergeron ripped home a loose puck to tie the game. He has a stat-line of 3-4-7 in five games played since making his return.

Bergeron’s patented two-way game is also perfectly intact. There are always concerns about a players conditioning when they go down with a late season injury, but the lungs are just fine. He’s averaged just under 20 minutes of ice time since returning which is equal to the amount he’s played throughout the season. He even played a total of 22:38 in the overtime loss against the Flyers, so he seems prepared to log the extra minutes that he’ll see in the postseason.

It’s all starting to come together for the Bruins heading into the playoffs. Bergeron’s back, McAvoy’s next, and the team is looking sharp. The top line has carried the B’s all season, and now the trio is back together. With the return of Bergeron, the Bruins are just as deep as any team in the league.

 

Cover image courtesy of NHL.com

Ryan Donato: the Next Young Bruins Star

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The Bruins youth has been responsible for a good portion of the team’s success this season. Guys like Pastrnak, Heinen, and McAvoy have provided plenty of scoring depth in addition to the consistent production from the top line. This has propelled the team all season, and it seems like there’s only more to come. Bruins draft pick Ryan Donato is having a career year at Harvard with 31 points through 23 games. He has proven that he’s ready for the next step. Fresh off a stellar Olympic tournament, it seems that the young phenom might be on Garden ice sooner rather than later.

The Local Prodigy

Ryan has lived every New England hockey player’s dream. He is the son of former Bruin Ted Donato, and grew up right in Scituate. He spent his high school years playing for both Dexter and the Cape Cod Whalers, and even saw some time with the USNTDP team. After putting up 78 points in 30 games as a junior, his hometown Bruins snagged him in the second round of the 2014 draft. Donato finished his high school career with a stat-line of 98-129-227 over 115 games. Do the math and that adds up to 1.97 points per game.

After eight games in the USHL following his senior season, Donato began his collegiate career at Harvard playing for his dad. Ted has served as the Crimson head coach since 2004 and has now coached in over 400 NCAA games. The team reached the Frozen Four for the first time in his career last season, and it’s safe to say that Ryan is what pushed them over the top.

Moving up the Ranks

Donato has 92 points through his first 91 collegiate games and is best known for elite goal scoring prowess. He isn’t the quickest guy out there, but his lethal shot and hockey IQ make him effective in all three zones. What’s really exciting about him is that he’s been able to find immediate success at every level. He got 36 points as a freshman at Dexter, put up ten in his first and only eight games in the USHL, and put up 21 in his first year at Harvard.

He’s handled the increase in skill tremendously at every level and did the same over in Pyeongchang. He was just as advertised- effective in all three zones without sacrificing any offense. His goal scoring ability was first put on display with two beautiful tallies against the Slovaks and continued from there. Donato led Team USA in scoring with five goals and six points through five games. He was one of four collegiate players on the squad.

Much to the delight of Bruins fans, there have even been rumors of him signing immediately after the Olympics. But don’t get too excited, because Harvard could really use him back across the pond. The team is currently standing at 13-10-4 with Donato leading the team in scoring. Due to this his NHL debut may need to wait. There’s no question that Donato should make an immediate impact with the B’s. It’s just a matter of when it’ll happen.

 

Cover image courtesy of BostonPucks.com.