David Pastrnak's creativity serving the Bruins well on and off the ice

Elite pro athletes with strong personalities make more contributions to their respective teams than just statistics on the field, ice or court. Those types of players have the ability to become the foundation of team’s success and it starts in the locker rooms or clubhouses.

The Patriots have Gronk. The Red Sox had Big Papi and the club desperately missed his presence behind closed doors last season due to retirement. The Bruins had players like Milan Lucic and Shawn Thornton, but since their departure from Boston, the team hasn’t had that -- for lack of a better term – clown-like personality.

David Pastrnak has become that type of teammate.



Everything about him screams, “I love playing hockey.” From his wardrobe, his interactions with teammates, media and especially the fans, Pastrnak has become the fun-loving forward for the Bruins. On the bench, he’ll squirt water at his teammates. During warmups, he interacts with fans on the glass like no other player in the league.

“Every player is different,” said Tuukka Rask. “They play with their strengths and Pasta is one of those guys who wants to be creative and play with the flow. It’s fun to watch.”

He’s always had this type of personality and creativity, but the 21-year-old is playing his fourth season in the NHL and he’s never been so comfortable. During the Bruins’ 3-1 win over the Detroit Red Wings on Saturday at TD Garden, Pastrnak made a move that had nearly everyone coming out of their seats. It was a between-the-legs, spin-o-rama that did not result in a goal, but it energized the fans and his teammates.

Bruins coach Bruce Cassidy first began working with Pastrnak when the two were in Providence. Cassidy has no issues with the forward using his skills to entertain.

“I am no different than you; I’m a hockey fan,” Cassidy said. “I like to see Pasta do his thing. We’re still in an entertainment industry. The fans like it and as long as it’s not goofy. He’s capable of things that other people aren’t, so if he can get out there and still create offense doing it, we’re good with it.”

Pastrnak’s not always successful with his creativity, and it results in turnovers and odd-man rushes at times. But, he’s learned when to dip into his arsenal and when to keep those bullets tucked away.

“He’s a skilled player and he has a lot of moves in his pocket,” said Zdeno Chara. “When it’s the right time he has the green light to show his skills and his moves. There are times when he has to keep it simple and that’s what we ask of him. It’s nice when you see he’s capable of going through people and making those moves and it creates openings for other players. He’s got a great shot, great hands and when it works it’s great.”

Because the entire league now knows that Pastrnak’s the type of player that wants the puck on his stick, he’s also learned to be effective without it. There are times during a game, especially down low in the offensive zone, when he’ll purposely over skate the puck. It forces defenders to follow him and leaves the puck in an area for a linemate to collect it and have time and space to make a play. Those types of plays are subtle and may go unnoticed, but he can be dazzling when he’s controlling the puck.

“I did it the last couple of games. You put the puck between their legs, so they can’t take it away from you. It’s fun. It’s the little stuff that I like to do. It’s fun for fans to watch and it’s fun for me to do that and it helps my confidence,” Pastrnak said.

You would think that a player with Pastrnak’s type of skill would want to see more creativity in the league. Oddly, he would disagree.

“You always want to see more of it, but at the same time you don’t want to take away the old NHL,” he said. “The game is getting 50/50 now. You have 50 percent skills guys and the 50 percent of the tough guys. It should stay like this. I don’t think the skills can take over.”

This is a case of agree to disagree because the NHL needs more creativity and personality across the board. In Boston, Pastrnak’s personality on and off the ice is one reason the team is winning.