David Pastrnak’s dominant stretch in 2025 continues with hat trick vs. Rangers
Pastrnak is riding a 10-game point streak, leading the NHL in goals and points since Jan. 1.
David Pastrnak’s early season slump has been behind him for some time. But since the turn of the new year, he’s re-emerged as one of the NHL’s best scorers.
Pastrnak’s 14 lamp-lighters since Jan. 1 are the most in the NHL in that time span. Seth Jarvis has the second most with 11. The star forward also has seven more points (28) in the 2025 calendar year than the next closest NHL player.
Saturday evening was perhaps Pastrnak’s best game during that elite stretch; the fan-favorite sent the TD Garden crowd home happy with a hat-trick in the third period against the Rangers, and notched four total points. That tied his highest point output of the season; Pastrnak also had four points (1 goal, 3 assists) against the Canucks on Dec. 14.
Matt Poitras perfectly set up Pastrnak’s first goal of the night, but his second goal was a thing of beauty. Skating up the ice in transition, Pastrnak found a sweet spot in the high slot and sent a blistering one-timer, beating Igor Shesterkin blocker-side and extending Boston’s lead in the second period.
“I was definitely shooting blocker-side. Honestly, I knew we had a 3-on-2 quick, so I was a little hesitant if I should shoot that,” Pastrnak said. “But, Potsy put it right in my wheelhouse. So I decided to just shoot it. And, luckily it went in.”
After the Bruins surrendered a third-period goal to keep New York alive, Pastrnak sealed the win after Morgan Geekie gave up a potential opportunity of his own to feed him near the blue line. Pastrnak and Geekie have developed a strong chemistry since partnering up on the same line, and Pastrnak has frequently set up Geekie for goals in recent weeks.
“[Geekie] did a heck of a job being strong on the puck. And as soon as he held on to it for one second or two, then I knew he was gonna try to find me,” Pastrnak said. “So just try to get open. Great job by him being strong on the puck and patient.”
Pastrnak has scored a point in each of his last 10 games and is a big reason why the Bruins are still hanging around the playoff picture. Boston’s 56 points are not far out of the Eastern Conference playoff picture, but it has also played 53 games while many of the teams ahead of it have played two or three fewer. So, the Bruins will not only need to stay hot for the rest of the regular season, they might need a little help from other teams as well.
Still, with Pastrnak firing on all cylinders once again, it’s hard to count Boston out of any game.
“The sky is the limit when I’m on my game and I’m focused,” Pastrnak said.
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