Pastrnak Leads the Way in B's Win Over Leafs

BOSTON - David Pastrnak didn't do anything special to prepare for Saturday night's game against the Toronto Maple Leafs. For him, it was just a normal routine.
"Physically, I felt better and I don't know what I did differently," said Pastrnak. "A good dinner maybe, a good breakfast, say a couple of swear words and went to bed."
Well, whatever works.

And it worked magically against the Leafs, as Pastrnak potted his second hat trick of the season - and third of his career - to pace the Bruins to a 5-1 win at TD Garden.
"I think that's something that he's worked on a lot the last few years, and he's really developing his game all around," said Patrice Bergeron, who had a goal and two assists. "It pays dividends for him and for our line. It's great to see, and he's obviously a great talent, and he's so good at getting open. So, when you add being tenacious on the puck and winning battles, that makes a big difference."

Pastrnak now leads the NHL with 15 goals and has 21 points in 16 games this season. His 4-point night (three goals, assist) marked his fourth multi-goal/point game of the season.
"He's an incredible player, he has a ton of talent and he's figuring the game out now which is making him even more dangerous," said Brad Marchand, who assisted on two of Pastrnak's goals. "It's been a lot of fun to watch him."
The performance by Pastrnak - and his teammates - was a crucial bounce back after Thursday's loss to Vancouver. Jaroslav Halak rebounded with a stellar 40-save effort, while the Bruins received a balanced offensive effort from the forward group.
"I think overall as a line we had a great bounce-back game and lately we've been getting many opportunities in five-on-five so it was great to be back, and we were happy with our game today," said Pastrnak. "We talked before the game that we need to be better than what we've shown the last couple games and that's what we did."

While Pastrnak impressed by showing off his ever-increasing goal-scoring prowess, perhaps his most notable play of the evening came on Boston's first goal. With Toronto buzzing for much of the first period, the Bruins took a 1-0 lead into intermission on Patrice Bergeron's eighth goal of the season.
But it was Pastrnak who did the dirty work to get things started. After the puck ended up in the corner off the faceoff, the winger won a battle with Morgan Reilly and circled behind the net, before throwing one towards the goal. Bergeron was parked at the top of the crease to redirect it by Garret Sparks for a 1-0 advantage with 3:48 to play in the first.
"I said it a couple times - it's so easy to get better in these kinds of places, in the D zone and stuff," Pastrnak said of the improvement of his all-around play. "When I play with Bergy - he won a Selke, he's a great defensive player and so I say it's easy for me to learn.
"I've been playing with him for a while, so I'm so much more comfortable there and just making the right play and don't look back."
Bergeron reciprocated early in the second period with a strong feed of his own. Bergeron wheeled around Toronto defenseman Ron Hainsey and sent a pass back across his body to Pastrnak at the right circle. The winger then blasted a one-timer past Sparks as he fell to the ice to extend the B's lead to 2-0.
"He gets open, that's the thing," said Bergeron. "And he finds that soft area, but that being said, he works hard to get puck back and being good on the forecheck to make sure that we can go and stay on the attack. So, those are details that go a long way."

The Perfection Line was at it again just under five minutes later, with Marchand getting in on the fun. Bergeron dished to the winger, who zipped a pass through traffic to Pastrnak at the backdoor. The 22-year-old didn't miss it and jammed one home for his second goal of the night and a 3-0 Bruins advantage.
Pastrnak finished things off by hammering home another power-play tally off a cross-ice feed from Marchand.
"I think just, honestly, stronger on the puck," Cassidy said of Pastrnak's improvement. "Before he'd try his one-on-one moves and he'd get pushed off, and I don't think he had the strength to battle like Marchy does, for example…I think it's just physical maturity, to be honest with you. A little more willing to hang in front of the net.
"That's the Bergy effect. I think he's built that into both his wingers, 'Hey, when it's your turn to get there, get there. You're not going to live there.' Had a bit of a set play, back-door play on the power play.
"Toronto does expose the front of the net. Pasta was willing to go there, and he got rewarded. It's those two things. A little more net presence and physically stronger."