Pastrnak Reflects on Benching After Turnover, Focused on Moving Forward

Boston Bruins forward David Pastrnak was benched for the entirety of the third period during Sunday's 3-2 victory over the Seattle Kraken after committing a turnover. Despite the benching, Pastrnak expressed his focus on moving forward and putting the mistake behind him.

"That was a bad turnover ... I just want to move forward," Pastrnak said on Monday, as reported by Conor Ryan of Boston.com. "I don't want to be any distraction to our team. The guys know how I feel about them here. It's a bad play. I take accountability and already moving forward."

Head coach Jim Montgomery confirmed that the decision to bench Pastrnak was his own and provided no further details on the matter.

In the first two periods, Pastrnak played 14:21, registering seven shots, two giveaways, and one block before his night was cut short. The winger entered the game as the Bruins' leading scorer with 11 points in 12 games but had gone scoreless in his previous three outings. With 23 giveaways on the season, Pastrnak tops the team in that category, though it's important to note that top players tend to handle the puck most frequently, making the stat somewhat misleading.

Montgomery has previously challenged Pastrnak to elevate his play, notably after Game 6 of last season's first-round playoff series against the Toronto Maple Leafs, which Pastrnak answered with the series-winning goal in overtime of Game 7.

With the Bruins' next game scheduled for Tuesday against the Toronto Maple Leafs, Pastrnak's teammates are confident he will respond positively.

"I'm looking forward to seeing him in Toronto," defenseman Charlie McAvoy told The Athletic's Fluto Shinzawa. "I think he's going to have a great game."

McAvoy further stated, "He's one of the most important players on our team. He's an assistant captain here. He's so vital to this group. The only thing that matters is us getting two points. I know the way he prepares and the success he wants to have and how much of a competitor he is. Toronto, we can shift the focus. ... There's no time to wallow around."

Sunday's win improved the Bruins' record to 6-6-1 on the season.