But even if there’s more to give — and there is throughout the whole Bruins team, with the exception of Jeremy Swayman in net — Pastrnak did enough on this night, did enough in Game 7, did enough that the Bruins didn’t suffer a second straight collapse, from up 3-1 in a best-of-7 series to losing in Game 7, as they did last season against the Florida Panthers.
To do that, they needed Pastrnak. And Montgomery had seen it coming. Well, maybe not that, exactly. But he had seen that Pastrnak was ready.
“When I walked in this morning, he had a smile on his face, ear-to-ear,” Montgomery said. “He goes, ‘What’s up, coach? You sleep well?’ And as soon as I know he’s in that frame of mind, I knew he was going to be good tonight.”
He was better throughout the game, his line improved, committed to winning their matchups throughout the game. But never more so than just those two short minutes into the overtime when his experience playing with Lindholm came through.
Because even if Marner didn’t know what Pastrnak was doing, Lindholm did.
“I saw him swinging, so obviously it was on purpose. I was hoping it would kick out good for him there. Then the way he handles that puck and puts it over the pads, that’s a few guys that can do that.”
Pastrnak is one of them.
“I don’t know how he finishes it sometimes, honestly,” Boston forward Charlie Coyle said. “I can’t wait to watch a replay and see how he does it, with barely any tape on his stick, either. He just corrals it a certain way. That’s what he does for us. He did it at a big moment, but he’s a big player and he usually does.”
