Mike Felger shares what a Bruins source told him about the health status of David Pastrnak. Felger says he’s been told that the winger will play in the postseason, but will not be 100% due to a core injury.
The cavalry has arrived for the Boston Bruins.
David Pastrnak, the team's most dynamic offensive player, returned following an eight-game absence while Linus Ullmark made his first start in goal after sitting out three straight games. Hampus Lindholm, Boston's prized acquisition at the NHL trade deadline, was also back after sitting out the team's last seven games.
All three players made an impact in a 3-1 Bruins win over the New York Rangers in a Saturday matinee at TD Garden, providing a glimpse of what Boston is capable of against fellow Eastern Conference contenders at full strength.
Stay in the game with the latest updates on your beloved Boston sports teams! Sign up here for our All Access Daily newsletter.
Ranking Bruins' potential first-round opponents in 2022 playoffs
The Bruins were an uneven 3-5 since Pastrnak last skated on April 4 and were coming off a 4-0 blanking at the hands of the Pittsburgh Penguins on Thursday, the first time they'd been shut out in more than two months.
But Pastrnak made his presence felt early on, scoring Boston's first goal with 0:25 left in the first period on a play which developed thanks to a crisp breakout pass from Lindholm in the back end.
Lindholm logged a team-high 24:41 of ice time in his return from a lower body injury; Pastrnak, returning from an undisclosed ailment, skated 20:19, tops among forwards.
Boston Bruins
Find the latest Boston Bruins news, highlights, analysis and more with NBC Sports Boston.
Pastrnak added an assist on Taylor Hall's goal 1:07 into the second period, the 500th point of his career, becoming the 16th player in franchise history to reach the milestone.
The goal for Pastrnak was his 39th of the season, moving him one away from what would be his second 40-goal campaign.
Ullmark, meanwhile, turned aside 30 of the 31 shots he faced in his return, two days after Jeremy Swayman gave up three goals on 31 shots.
The looming decision the Bruins have to make about who will start their first playoff game in net got no easier on Saturday, that's for sure.
With the win, Boston improved to 48-25-5, surpassing 100 points for the fourth time in the last five seasons -- the only time it didn't was last season, when the regular season was shortened to 56 games.