David Pastrnak readies for return - will Bruins’ winger be up to speed ahead of the playoffs?

David Pastrnak may be able to practice with his Bruins teammates and rocket home one-timers from his office at the left circle without many limitations, but the remnants from the winger’s unexpected thumb surgery five weeks ago are likely to remain with him for most of the 2018-19 season.

An unlucky fall after a sponsorship dinner back on Feb. 10 has kept Pastrnak out of the lineup for the last 16 games. The dynamic forward has been reduced to skating ahead of Bruins’ practices for the past couple of weeks and shaking the rust off of his puck-handling skills with a modified splint under his glove.

That splint isn’t getting removed any time soon for Pastrnak, but that doesn’t mean the forward isn’t going to be stuck on the shelf for much longer. For the first time in over a month, Pastrnak has been tabbed as a game-time decision for a contest, with Bruce Cassidy noting on Monday the forward will travel with the team on its upcoming four-game road trip and has a chance to play on Tuesday against the Islanders.

“Felt great,” Cassidy said of Pastrnak. “So he's traveling with us, obviously. Could play tomorrow, as early as tomorrow. Not saying he will. But he'll make that decision in conjunction with the medical staff as early as tomorrow after the morning skate, so I would assume he would be a game-time decision. I suspect if he doesn't play tomorrow, then Thursday (against Devils) would be a real good day."

For Pastrnak, finding that light at the end of the tunnel is a welcome development after weeks of mundane work on the ice — all due to an off-ice injury.

“I was at the dinner and then I was on my way to the car and slipped,” Pastrnak said of his injury. “It was unfortunate that I got hurt from it. I was really upset. It was the last thing I wanted to do. Four weeks in the gym — skating with no stick. These things happen in life and I just try to take it as an advantage and get better as a player.”

Somehow, the Bruins have managed to generate more offense (3.3 goals per game in last 16 games) since Pastrnak landed on the shelf (2.88 goals per game through Feb. 10), but Pastrnak’s impact on this club, especially in the O-zone, can’t be understated.

Already a cheat code on the power play thanks to his patented one-timer, Pastrnak can also more than hold his own during 5v5 play, an area that Boston has largely labored in this season. When he went down with his injury, Pastrnak was out on the ice for 44.2 percent of all of Boston’s goals scored at 5v5 play.

Still, even Pastrnak was quick to admit that he likely won’t hit the ground running once he’s eventually given the green light, especially with all of the rust that he will need to shake off and the adjustment to the splint.



“Yeah. I’ve been working really hard to get ready for that. We’ll see,” Pastrnak said. “Obviously, I haven’t been hurt for a while, so I don’t know how I’m going to feel the first game back. A little nervous, obviously, but just try to stay positive and be ready for anything.”

While the splint does make its presence felt whenever Pastrnak handles the puck, he did add that attempting shots has hadn’t much of an effect when it comes to pain or discomfort.

“It’s been a couple weeks now where I’ve been skating and handling a puck with it,” Pastrnak said of the splint. “It feels pretty good, to be honest. It doesn’t really affect me, to be honest, with shooting. Just a little bit with the stickhandling. I’ve been with it for a couple of weeks, so I’m getting used to it. … There’s a thousand guys playing with knee braces, so it’s stuff that you need to get used to it.”

With 10 games remaining until postseason gets underway, Boston is going to need Pastrnak to get back into a groove in short order if this club wants to topple opponents such as the Lightning. He may not be the same player that was on pace for 45 goals and 97 points back in February, but Pastrnak has a good chance of finding his comfort zone back on his usual line with Patrice Bergeron and Brad Marchand.

That combination has logged 388:55 of 5v5 TOI together this season, posting a plus-89 edge in shot attempts and a plus-36 shot differential while combining for 23 goals generated. For now, that’s where Pastrnak will look to find his footing, while a second line with David Krejci centering Jake DeBrusk and Charlie Coyle will likely remain intact for the time being — as that top-six crew generated an absurd 77.27 Corsi For Percentage on Saturday against the Blue Jackets while holding a 6-2 edge in scoring chances.

In a perfect world, the case could be made that Pastrnak is best suited as the solution for the revolving door on Krejci’s line — as Danton Heinen has filled in admirably as of late up top with Bergeron and Marchand. 

That top line combination has generated 11 5v5 goals over 193:49 of TOI together, but has also only relinquished four goals down the other end of the ice. The Marchand-Bergeron-Pastrnak line has surrendered 21 5v5 goals together so far this season.

“He's responsible, makes plays there, won hockey games there,” Cassidy said of Heinen. “They're both comfortable with him. Obviously that slides Pasta down with Krech and that might allow us to play Coyle (with Marcus) Johansson, so we'd balance things out. We had that in mind — day after the deadline, it kind of all went on us for obvious reasons with the injuries — but again, its something we may revisit if and when we get everyone back at the same time."

Even with Coyle’s play as a top-six winger, Cassidy acknowledged that Boston’s deadline acquisition is likely best fit for the role of Boston’s third-line center — with the return of Johansson likely paving the way for the pair to anchor a bottom-six line with some scoring pop and skill.

Of course, Boston will need to finally be rid of the injury bug for all of those pieces to fall in place — but it looks as though things are finally starting to clear up for the club with the postseason right around the corner.

Already lifted by the return of DeBrusk and Pastrnak’s likely return, the Bruins could have Johansson, Torey Krug (concussion) and Matt Grzelcyk (arm) all back in the fold at some point on this road trip, while Kevan Miller (upper-body) may not be far behind. All four injured skaters took to the ice at Warrior Ice Arena on Monday before practice officially commenced.

"All skated today,” Cassidy said. “Krug is feeling much better, so he's along with his protocol now. They'll all, I don't know if Kevan Miller is traveling, but Johansson, Grzelcyk and Krug will and will probably play on the trip at some point. I don't know if I'd put one ahead of the other right now. It's just that Kevan, I'd put at the end of the line."