Bruins winger David Pastrnak picks up another league honor
David Pastrnak. Just an absolute rockstar.
BOSTON, MASSACHUSETTS – JANUARY 02: David Pastrnak #88 of the Boston Bruins warms up prior to a game against the Pittsburgh Penguins in the 2023 Discover NHL Winter Classic at Fenway Park on January 02, 2023 in Boston, Massachusetts. (Photo by Gregory Shamus/Getty Images)
Bruins winger David Pastrnak has been honored as the NHL's First Star of the Week for the week ending Jan. 8, the NHL announced in a press release Monday.
Pastrnak's honor comes following a week that saw No. 88 rack up a team-leading seven goals in eight points in four games for the Bruins, and with the Bruins going 4-0-0 over that stretch.
Boston's top scorer finished the week in style, too, with three goals and an assist in the team's 7-1 blowout win over the Ducks on Sunday night at Anaheim's Honda Center.
California as a whole was kind to Pastrnak, as he recorded all seven goals of his week during the B's three-game tour of California, and had a multi-goal effort in all three of those contests, with a pair of two-goal outings before Sunday's three-goal performance at the expense of the Ducks' John Gibson.
The 26-year-old's hat trick came with some significance organizationally and beyond, too.
Not only was it his first hat trick of the new season, but it was also the 13th of Pastrnak's NHL career. That moved Pastrnak out of a tie with Johnny Bucyk and into sole possession of the third-most hat tricks in franchise history, and puts him just one hat trick away from tying Cam Neely for the second-most in franchise history.
It also jumped Pastrnak up the NHL's all-time leaderboard, as the Czech winger is now in a tie for the 57th-most hat tricks in league history. And only the Capitals' Alex Ovechkin has more since the start of the 2016-17 season, with 15 hat tricks compared to Pastrnak's 13. (McDavid is in third, with 12 hat tricks over that stretch.)
The week has also skyrocketed Pastrnak up the NHL leaderboard, as Pastrnak entered Jan. 1 sitting at No. 6 in the NHL leaderboard in goals scored, with 25. He begins this week second, with 32 goals, and in the No. 2 spot on the leaderboard, with only Connor McDavid and his 33 goals ahead of Pastrnak in 2022-23.
"Goal scorers know how to get open, that's why they continue to score goals." Bruins head coach Jim Montgomery said of one of Pastrnak's three goals in Sunday's win. "That shot was amazing."
"You're scoring goals in the best league in the world," Pastrnak said following Sunday's win. "It's not easy. I will never take it for granted. It's my job to score goals. It still makes you happy."
Jan 5, 2023; Los Angeles, California, USA; Boston Bruins celebrate after an empty net goal by right wing David Pastrnak (88) in the third period against the Los Angeles Kings at Crypto.com Arena. (Jayne Kamin-Oncea/USA TODAY Sports)
Pastrnak, who is in a contract year, is currently paced for a simply monstrous season, as his current scoring rate has him paced for what would be a 66-goal and 119-point season. Phil Esposito is the only player in franchise history to score at least 60 goals in a season for the Bruins, accomplishing the feat four times from 1970 through 1975, while 119 points would be the most points by any Bruin since Adam Oates had 142 points in 1992-93.
Below Pastrnak, the Devils' Jack Hughes picked up Second Star honors with five goals and seven points in three games played for New Jersey, while Sabres defenseman Rasmus Dahlin picked up Third Star nods with a week that featured two goals and six points in just two games played.
