Boston Bruins
David Pastrnak Shaken Not Stirred Following Greer Hit
BRIGHTON – David Pastrnak was shaken not stirred, but remains undeterred following his run-in with A.J. Greer.
The Bruins all-star right winger was caught in Greer’s crosshairs Thursday night, receiving a hit from behind during the first period of the team’s 4-3 loss to the Florida Panthers at TD Garden.
Skating at full speed towards the left corner of the offensive zone, Greer flattened the unsuspecting Boston sniper with a hit from behind. Pasta was in the process of trying to retrieve a loose puck as it cycled around the end boards. Greer tagged Pastrnak in the middle of his nameplate on a crunching board check, sending the winger to the ice.
Pavel Zacha objects to A.J. Greer's hit on Pastrnak and drops the gloves. pic.twitter.com/5vEN6t9TM1
— Conor Ryan (@ConorRyan_93) October 14, 2024
Surprisingly, no penalty was called.
“I didn’t think much of it,” said Pastrnak, following Tuesday’s practice. “I know it was from behind, but didn’t see the replay. Didn’t see him coming. Don’t know if it was a cross check or just a good push, because it was so far behind.”
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Pastrnak was treated for some minor facial scrapes. Most of the damage came from catching a mouthful of his own visor on the collision.
Bruins winger Pavel Zacha immediately came to his teammates aid, fighting Greer seconds after the incident.
Although upset about the non-call, the Pastrnak and his team did their best to keep their emotions in check, against the defending Stanley Cup champions.
“I don’t think it got to us,” said Pastrnak. “Most games against Florida, we are very undisciplined, taking unnecessary penalties and putting a team like Florida on the power play and they’re going to make you pay. So, we make it harder on ourselves against those guys, because we give them so much opportunities on the power play. That’s one of the reasons. It was a pretty tight game, but they got the power play goals and that was tough to come back from.”
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Pastrnak knows he’ll draw plenty of extra attention wherever he roams. He understands that comes with the territory and accepts that challenge.
“I don’t have any problem being hunted, as long as its within the rules and it’s a clean hit,” said Pastrnak. “I have zero problems with a clean hit. You definitely have to draw the line when it’s a bad play to answer. There will be opportunities for those. Some of them like a big hit, that’s hockey. It’s a tough sport. If you can’t take it, you shouldn’t be in the league then. But you definitely have to recognize time and space.”
One thing is for sure, Pastrnak certainly appreciated Zacha coming to his defense. Known more for his playmaking ability than his fisticuffs, the 6-foot-4, 207-pound left winger showed no hesitancy when it came to dropping the gloves against an established NHL grinder like Greer.
“He’s a big boy and A.J. fights, so I definitely appreciated it,” said Pastrnak. “I’m proud of him. You appreciate a guy like that having your back. You want to make sure he knows it, and that you’d do the same for him.”
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