Bruins Winger David Pastrnak Reveals Off-Season Injury

BRIGHTON – In a stunning revelation, Bruins right winger David Pastrnak revealed that he suffered an injury over the summer,

In an interview with the Czech media, the sniper admitted that he was sidelined for 2-3 weeks following the World Championships.

The story also stated that Pasta admitted not feeling like himself when he entered Bruins training camp in September.

The winger confirmed the injury to the local media after practice on Monday.

“I played at the World Championships with injuries, but that obviously was taken out of context,” said Pastrnak. “I’m fine right now.”

“I feel much better now last couple of games,” he added. “My legs are moving pretty well. Obviously to get back the scoring touch I need to shoot more a little bit.”

David Pastrnak on the #NHLBruins so far this season: "We know we have to be much better than what we've shown…we have to be confident in ourselves and in the team."

More practice reaction: https://t.co/Lre0GaP0H9 pic.twitter.com/pOywwQpyGr

— Boston Bruins (@NHLBruins) November 11, 2024

A 61-goal scorer in 2022-23 and four-time 40+ goal scorer, Pastrnak has been largely snakebit in recent weeks. The 6-foot, 196-pound sharpshooter has been held without a goal over his last seven games, with just six assists in that span.

The NHL All-Star currently has six goals and 14 points in 16 games this season.

“I’ve been through some slumps in my career early on,” said Pastrnak. “Obviously scoring is addictive. I want to score more goals. That’s what I’m here for. It always starts with shooting. I have to trust my shot and get back on the scoring column.”

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Although hampered by injuries over the summer, he wasn’t about to use that as an excuse for his slow start.

“I actually felt pretty good in the preseason games,” said Pastrnak. “Obviously then the season started I didn’t feel as good, but listen it’s a long season. I come to the rink to get better every single day. It’s something that I’ve always done and will continue to do to get better.”

The injury did, however,  limit his workout regiment.

“Honestly, that was the first time I had to deal with something like this,” said Pastrnak. “I always practice hard, always do my routines with a schedule you usually follow. So that was something new, but it’s no concern.”

According to Bruins coach Jim Montgomery, Pastrnak kept him informed about his status every step of the way.

“Those are things we had to work through in training camp earlier in the year,” said Montgomery. “But I think he’s where he needs to be.”

Pastrnak skated on a line with Pavel Zacha and Morgan Geekie at Monday’s practice, before leaving for St. Louis. The Bruins take on the Blues on Tuesday.

“That was a really good practice,” said Pastrnak. “We touched on the little things, competed and moved the puck well. We just need to concentrate on the game and get ready for the road. This is a big road trip for us.”

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The Bruins have struggled with consistency going 7-7-2, winning just four of their last 11 games.

Things came to a head over the weekend, after dropping a 3-2 overtime loss to the Ottawa Senators. Boston squandered a 2-1 lead in the second period.

Boston was held without a shot in the third period. Brady Tkachuk buried the game-winner 21 seconds into the extra session.

According to Pastrnak, the loss wasn’t indicative of what his team is capable of.

“I know we need to be much better than we’ve shown,” said Pastrnak. “We have to be confident in ourselves and obviously the team. We need to make plays and trust in ourselves.”

The cornerstone of the Bruins power play, Pastrnak is also looking to inject some life back into a struggling special team’s unit.

The Bruins power play is tied with Washington for 29^th out of 32 teams. A dismal 12.5 percent.

“We definitely have to shoot and retrieve more pucks,” said Pastrnak. “We can’t be one and done. The (penalty) killers are so good in the NHL today. You have to shoot and retrieve. That’s where the holes open up. We have a lot of work to do there. We don’t have to score every power play, but we have to create momentum.”’

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