Boston Bruins

David Pastrnak Ejected For Boarding Ryan Lindgren

Published

5 months ago

December 16, 2023

Boston Bruins superstar winger David Pastrnak was ejected 18:10 into the second period of his team’s game with the New York Rangers on Saturday night.

David Pastrnak received a five-minute major for boarding and game misconduct after he followed through on a hit to a defenseless Rangers defenseman, Ryan Lindgren.

David Pastrnak received a five minute major and a game misconduct for this hit on Ryan Lindgren.

Lindgren went to the Rangers' locker room after the hit. pic.twitter.com/1PCDrKuWDs

— B/R Open Ice (@BR_OpenIce) December 17, 2023

As seen above, Pastrnak did appear to try and go shoulder-to-shoulder, but he still could’ve let up, and the onus is on him to do so. That’s especially the case right now after the NHL came off last weekend when there were multiple hits from behind and questionable plays throughout the NHL.

As is customary with all plays like this, the NHL Department of Player Safety will review this and determine if Pastrnak deserves any supplemental discipline. Ironically, Pastrnak’s only suspension since entering the NHL in the 2014-15 NHL regular season came on Oct. 28, 2016, when the 25th overall pick from the 2014 NHL Entry Draft was suspended for two games for an illegal check to the head of then-New York Rangers defenseman Dan Girardi.

The Pastrnak hit on Lindgren came just as the physical tone of the game was starting to rise. Just 7:05 prior to the Pastrnak hit on Lindgren, Boston Bruins forward Trent Frederic dropped the gloves with Rangers defenseman Jacob Trouba. That was a fight that had been brewing since Nov. 25 when Trouba took a two-handed swing with his stick to the head of Frederic in the second period of the Bruins’ 7-4 loss to the Rangers at Madison Square Garden.

Frederic tried early in the first period to get Trouba to do the tango, but the Rangers rearguard didn’t oblige.

You could say that Trent Frederic hasn’t forgiven Jacob Trouba yet for slashing him in the head a few weeks ago pic.twitter.com/hj6xJK22J5

— Boston Bruins Watcher (@WatcherBruins) December 17, 2023

To Trouba’s credit, he did so 11:05 into the second period, and while it was hardly a fight, the score was settled. … or so one thought until Pastrnak’s hit on Lindgren just minutes later.