The Boston Bruins could embark on a three-game road-trip through the Western Conference without their superstar goal-scorer. Winger David Pastrňák continued to skate on his own at Saturday’s practice and was designataed as questionable for the road-trip by head coach Marco Sturm, per Boston Herald’s Steve Conroy.
Pastrňák hasn’t played since November 26th due to an undisclosed injury. He has missed five games in that span, and could miss up to eight games if he isn’t able to travel with the Bruins. Boston lost two of their first three games without Pastrňák – but they rebounded with back-to-back wins in their last two games, where they outscored opponents 9-3.
Even though their luck has turned around, Boston still sorely misses Pastrňák in the lineup. He ranks second on the club in scoring with 11 goals and 29 points in 25 games. It’s yet another dominant season for the Czech star. He has stacked up 100-point seasons in each of the last three years – including a 61 goal, 113 point season in 2022-23. That was Boston’s highest scoring season since Adam Oates scored 142 points in 1992-93.
Pastrňák’s absence opened the door for Casey Mittelstadt to return to the lineup after more than 20 days out due to a lower-body injury. He has stepped up in the return with two points in his first two games back and another point in Saturday’s win over New Jersey. Mittelstadt is up to 11 points in 19 games this season. He has carved out an impactful role in Boston’s top-six, helping to sustain a Bruins offense that has the seventh-most goals in the NHL despite missing their 100-point scorer.