David Pastrnak has enjoyed a fantastic NHL career with the Boston Bruins.
He has reached the Stanley Cup Playoffs in eight of his 10 seasons with the team, including a Stanley Cup Final appearance in 2019. He is a three-time All-Star. He won the Maurice "Rocket" Richard Trophy in 2019-20. He was a finalist for the Hart Trophy in 2022-23. He has a solid playoff resume, too, with goals scored in four of the six Game 7s he's played in.
Success has not been hard to come by for Pastrnak.
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The biggest thing that has eluded him so far is hoisting the Stanley Cup, and he seems more determined than ever to help the Bruins win the ultimate prize for the first time since 2011.
Pastrnak was asked after Friday's training camp practice what he wants to work on and improve during the upcoming season, and without hesitation, he told reporters, "I want to win the Cup."
The 28-year-old right wing got a taste of team success in the spring while playing in the 2024 World Championships for the Czech Republic. Pastrnak and Bruins teammate Pavel Zacha helped lead their country to a gold medal in front of their home fans in Prague. Pastrnak opened the scoring in the third period of the gold medal game, which Czechia ultimately won 2-0.
It sounds like this triumph on the international stage has further motivated Pastrnak to achieve similar results in Boston.
"It was obviously a hell of an experience winning at home in front of the whole country, and the country came together and put up a heck of an atmosphere, so we were so happy to get it done for them," Pastrnak told reporters Friday, as seen in the video below.
"It was an enjoyable couple of weeks. It was a big win. I needed it. I enjoyed it personally. It was a big gold medal. I had my fun and enjoyment there, but on the other hand, I use it as motivation. It was the first big win of my career. I use it as motivation, flip the page and focus on the next goal."
🎥 @pastrnak96 following Day 2 of B's training camp on his expectations for the 2024-25 season: "I want to win the Cup."
— Boston Bruins (@NHLBruins) September 20, 2024
Watch more media availabilities ➡️ https://t.co/luGJUvEmN4#NHLBruins | @Rapid7 pic.twitter.com/9xmbQazh0w
Pastrnak is in many ways the face of the Bruins. He is the team's most talented and most marketable player. A true box office star.
His value to the Bruins is immense. Pastrnak led the Bruins with 47 goals scored last season. Nobody else on the team had more than 29. He led the B's with 63 assists. Nobody else on the roster surpassed 38. His 110 points were 43 (!) more than Brad Marchand's 67 in second place.
He is the engine that drives the Bruins, and based on his comments Friday, it sounds like he'll be a man on a mission during the 2024-25 season.
