David Pastrnak Has “Better” Than Outside Chance To Play Game 5

David Pastrnak last suited up for the Boston Bruins six days ago. In Game 1 against the Carolina Hurricanes, Pastrnak scored a goal and added an assist as the Bruins won a dramatic game in double overtime by a score of 4-3. Since then? He’s been “unfit to participate” and missed three straight games. Pastrnak took the ice on Tuesday, and is hoping to return for Game 5 on Wednesday afternoon.

He was a late scratch last Thursday prior to Game 2. Pastrnak did return to the ice briefly on Sunday morning for an ‘optional’ Bruins practice.

Head coach Bruce Cassidy wouldn’t commit one way or the other. However, Cassidy did admit that the odds are higher for a Game 5 return than they were for a Game 4 showing.

“He skated today, made it through practice, did a few battle drills,” Cassidy said of Pastrnak. “Some of that will depend on how he feels in the morning, if there’s residual effect. And then we’ll make a decision. The other day we thought he had an outside chance. Now I’d give it better than that. So, we’ll have to make a decision in the morning.”

For the third time in the series, the Bruins and Hurricanes will have an early puck drop. Game 1 began at 11:00 am, while Game 3 was at 12:00 pm on Saturday. Game 5 will begin at 4:00 pm on Wednesday. That means a normal day of preparation is out of the question for David Pastrnak.

“Four o’clock game is tough,” Cassidy admitted. “You go seven or eight, you get to test it out in the morning. That’ll be the challenge for the medical stuff, but if we feel he’s 100% – no risk of further injury, he’ll be in the lineup.”