No Pastrnak, Big Problem in Game 2’s Bruins Loss

The Boston Bruins had a 1-0 series lead going into Game 2 and it seemed like everything seemed to be fine but then all of a sudden David Pastrnak was deemed “unfit to play” by the Boston Bruins just before game time and therefore, he would be watching the game from the stands. It looks like he may have strained something in his side after celebrating Patrice Bergeron‘s game-winning 2OT goal in Game 1.

It certainly showed that Boston’s front line was missing their best player. Patrice Bergeron and Brad Marchand combined for just six shots and just one of them went into the back of the net.

Goalie Tuukka Rask was playing in back to back days for the first time and it didn’t seem like he was as sharp as he would’ve been if he was rested. Multiple times during the course of the game he looked like he was late to getting his hand up when shots were put on goal.

But he couldn’t really do much about the go-ahead goal that ultimately won the Carolina Hurricanes the game. With 11:30 left in the third period Dougie Hamilton hammered a bullet past Rask thanks to a great assist from behind the net by Martin Necas.

Although the Bruins offense was able to convert on two of their three power plays, they gave the puck away 17 times (9 more than Carolina), so they’ll need to clean that up come Saturday when they take the ice for Game 3 at 12 ET.

Hopefully we will see David Pastrnak in uniform and on the front line come then.

Photo: (Nathan Denette/The Canadian Press via AP)