Bruins vs. Ducks RECAP: David Pastrnak goes duck hunting, wins the game 4-2

Period 1:

Look this game was just a David Pastrnak highlight reel, alright?

Early in the game, things definitely looked like your average game against the Anaheim Ducks; Anaheim pinned in their own end, John Gibson being a certified game changer in net, and eventually either the dam breaks or the Ducks find a goal they cling to like a parasite.

Thankfully, Boston was able to draw a power play five minutes into the game, and Patrice Bergeron floated a pass over to Pasta who put his first of the night in the back of the net with some oomph behind it. 1-0 B’s!

Gotta respect the classic of a good Pastrnak rocket shot.

The Ducks made a concerted effort to get back into this game, but Jaroslav Halak held the door shut tight, and onto the 2nd we go!

Period 2:

David Pastrnak scores...again! A 2-on-1 developed in a most embarrassing way for Hampus Lindholm as he gave the puck directly to Brad Marchand, who gave the Smilin’ Czech the all-clear to hammer it home. 2-0 B’s!

Y e e s h that turnover, though. Anaheim did this a lot in their own end as the game progressed.

And then...came the true slowdown.

Anaheim dragged this game into it’s idea of what is a good game by slowing it all the way down and sucking the energy out of the arena, and Rickard Rakell just took a shot that somehow squeaked by Halak, making it 2-1 B’s.

It was not just a surprise, but a moment where the crowd just kind of woke up from the stupor of their offense. It’s real, and it’s gross.

Once again, not much else happened, and onto the third period we go!

Period 3:

Man...I don’t even know what to say about the goal that sealed the hat trick. It was a faceoff, Pasta was there...he shot it, Gibson had plenty of stops all day that he made somewhat like it and fate said “Nope.”

3-1 B’s!

Just ain’t your night, Ducks.

And it’d only get worse, as Marchand made a pass that got Gibson waaaaaay off his line for Pasta to knock home on the doorstep. 4-1 B’s!

#LEGENDARY Performance!

Anaheim would get one back as Halak mishandled a puck later on in the period and the defense couldn’t recover in time, and Adam Henrique cashed in to cut the lead to 2.

Not exactly ideal defending or puck handling. Even in a game this sloppy.

Thankfully, Boston managed to avoid any other further mistakes, and took home a 4-2 victory!

Game Notes:

• David Pastrnak is a legendary player. Don’t let anyone tell you otherwise. This is a game that cements just how special a guy he can be.
• Unusual for most Anaheim games in the past few years in that the Ducks actually controlled play for a vast majority of it, but their goaltending was not able to save them in the long run, and their offense had multiple golden opportunities to either get even or get within one, and just...didn’t. Hockey is weird, and the Ducks play a narcotic version of this sport. However, the B’s played extremely sloppy hockey, with noted exception throughout the lineup. They got away with a lot of bad turnovers and cute plays. They’d better baton down the hatches when Tampa comes to town. Even if they’re struggling early, they’re still infinitely better coached than what I had the pleasure of sitting through today.
• Jaroslav Halak had to stave off 32 shots on goal and only 2 made it past him, and if those were the two that had to go in? So be it. .938 SV% in a game like this one where it’s so easy to get caught up in what the Ducks were doing/causing is fantastic. Just a great night for 41.
• It may shock you to learn Brad Marchand was making all kinds of friends today. First Comtois, then Getzlaf later in the game, it was a very on-brand day for the little ball of hate.
• David Krejci left the game after taking a shot block during the 2nd, and didn’t return. Bruce Cassidy thinks he’s fine and he’ll see how he feels on Thursday, but that’s still really scary. This season’s just started, man. We can’t just start having centers drop off thanks to compounded minor injuries.
• Yet again the B’s ended up with a “fun” little quirky call from the referees for a trip...that did not happen whatsoever. When will this horsecrap end.

The B’s get a couple of days off, then host the Tampa Bay Lightning at 7pm on Thursday! We’ll see you there!