Like it or not, David Pastrnak was going to have to get used to the line of questioning.
It's easy to see why the gregarious winger has developed into the apple of the NHL's eye as it looks to prop up the next generation of stars to a wide-ranging fan base. Armed with both a howitzer of a shot and an infectious smile that almost seems permanently etched on his face, Pastrnak is everything the league is looking for from a marketing angle — possessing the rare, potent flash, style and charisma often reserved for the greatest stars in their respective wardrobe.
Still, beyond the flashy wardrobe and extensive highlight tape inundated with one-time blasts and Datsyukian-like dangles, the 24-year-old winger's pizazz often becomes as muted as his tape job when asked to boast of his own rather evident talents.
So, as he stood nonchalantly in front of his locker at TD Garden back on October 14, Boston's top sniper was quick to deflect praise onto everyone but himself just minutes after lighting the lamp four times in a 4-2 victory over the Ducks.
His linemates in Patrice Bergeron and Brad Marchand were the first ones to receive the credit for his latest offensive salvo.
Next, a hearty breakfast just ahead of the matinee matchup received the stick tap.
“Classic eggs and pancakes," he noted.
Then, of course, came the suit.
"As soon as I put this suit on today — Felt good after breakfast. Afternoon games are fun. I like that — just wake up and go play. No time for thinking," Pastrnak said. "No time to overthink stuff.”
Of course, there's much more that factors into Pastrnak's ascension as one of the game's premier scorers beyond just a set of new threads and a stack of flapjacks. You just won't hear him be the one to credit the extensive amount of work he's put in over the years to develop into a Swiss Army Knife in the offensive zone.
But his teammates are more than happy to oblige with such praise.
“He’s playing a video game out there," David Backes said of Pastrnak back in December. "I don’t know what’s wrong with that guy. … I don’t have words.”
For a player often left uncomfortable talking up his own game, Pastrnak's own assault on daily box scores hasn't done him many favors, with questions comparing him to the great scorers over his era like Alex Ovechkin lobbed to him more regularly than a Torey Krug saucer pass on the man advantage.
Comparing oneself to the winger that very well could surpass Wayne Gretzky's goals record in the coming years certainly stands as a lofty assessment, with Pastrnak often doing his best to "temper" such expectations by focusing on a more attainable goal — like reaching the 50-goal benchmark.
“At some point, you know, in my hockey career, I want to become one of those players," Pastrnak said back in October of 2018. "It isn’t going to come (without) work. I’m still pretty young. Obviously I would love to have 50 goals in some point in my career. It's just a question of work.”
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Tipped Shot: 2 goals
Snap Shot: 1 goal
Wraparound Shot: 1 goal
Snap Shot: 8 goals
Tipped Shot: 3 goals
Deflected Shot: 1 goal
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Stats and graphs via Sean Tierney.
