David Pastrnak has four points in five games in the Bruins’ first-round series against the Maple Leafs, but he has yet to really take over a game the way Brad Marchand did in Games 3 and 4, or Auston Matthews did in Game 2.
Pastrnak wasn’t alone in having a rough Game 5 as Boston failed to close out Toronto, but his sloppiness with the puck and inability to create much offensively stood out.
Making his weekly appearance on The Greg Hill Show on Thursday, former Bruin and NHL analyst Mike Milbury said he doesn’t like what he’s seeing from Pastrnak and that he’s heard there’s “something going on there.” Listen to the full interview above.
“Well, I gotta tell you, something's going on there,” Milbury said. “I've talked to a couple people. He looks unhappy. I don't know if it's because he's not getting enough, you know, passes on the power play or what have you, but he's been brutal at times. He's been a liability. His turnovers are terrible. I mean, took a penalty the other night that was awful.
“He looks like he's off of his game. He doesn't look like he's having a lot of fun. I saw him bail out and make some bad decisions in certain situations. And then comes back and actually blocks a shot, which was remarkable for him. But I don't like his game. And without his game straightening out, whether they win this series or not is irrelevant. They're not going anywhere with their best player playing at, you know, maybe 65 to 70 percent of his capacity.”
Host Greg Hill followed up by asking Milbury to clarify if he’s actually heard from people that Pastrnak isn’t happy.
“I heard that that he seems off, yes,” Milbury said. “It just doesn't seem like… his mood isn't there. He's not focused enough. And I don't know what the problem is, but it's not a good time to be having that kind of attitude in the playoffs. You should be jacked up, ready to go every game, and not complaining or whining or looking like you're an unhappy camper.”
Pastrnak and the rest of the Bruins have another chance to bounce back and finish off the Leafs Thursday night in Toronto, with faceoff for Game 6 set for 8 p.m.