Bruins' David Pastrnak breaks silence on his "mainly mental" injury suffered during offseason

David Pastrnak has been a key offensive player for the Boston Bruins this season, leading the team with six goals, eight assists, and 14 points. However, he recently shared that he's not completely satisfied with his performance so far.

Pastrnak mentioned that something still feels off and part of his frustration comes from an injury he suffered during the offseason. He clarified that the injury wasn't physical.

The star forward described the injury as a mental struggle that kept him from training properly during the summer.

“I was injured for a month and a half in the summer,” Pastrnak said via (nesn.com). “Not so much physically, because then there was still a lot of time, but the problem was mainly mental. Because in the summer, I normally prepare for the season, and I haven’t been injured for so long."

Pastrnak had grown used to intense off-season training, so being sidelined during that important time was a tough change. He pointed out that he hadn’t experienced a long break like this before.

“And mentally, it’s hard when you can’t work for a month and a half at this stage nothing to do. But I feel better and better with each match,” Pastrnak said.

Pastrnak didn’t disclose the exact details of the injury, but Czech media reports after the World Championship indicated that he had been dealing with some kind of issue. When asked, he mentioned a series of bruises and bumps that kept him from training for a while.

Despite the setback, David Pastrnak stayed positive, noting that the injury occurred around the time of his wedding, giving him some time off but also disrupting his usual routine.

David Pastrnak reflected on Bruins' struggles

Although David Pastrnak's numbers have been strong, he hasn’t felt fully in sync with the team, especially after their recent overtime loss to the Ottawa Senators. In that game, the Bruins struggled in the third period, failing to get a shot on goal for the last 24 minutes. Pastrnak was open in his criticism, acknowledging that the team needs to improve in these key moments.

“In the third period, it was right there — a tied hockey game,” Pastrnak said (via NESN). “This is where we should drive and create offense and keep playing on our toes. I don’t know. We had nothing, pretty much, in the third. You’re just going up and down the ice instead of trying to hang onto the puck and put it deep and get it on the forecheck and stay strong and create some O-zone time.”

David Pastrnak's return to form appears to be improving with each game, and the Bruins will need his best effort as they aim to bounce back. The team will travel to St. Louis on Tuesday to face the Blues, with Pastrnak hoping to move past the mental and physical setbacks of the offseason and get back to helping the Bruins win.