David Pastrnak’s weak clearing attempt (see above) that led to a Flyers goal last night in Boston also led Bruins coach Claude Julien to deliver a candid assessment of the 19-year-old’s play.
“It’s about respecting the game, more than just scoring goals, and there’s a learning curve there. There’s also a respect factor there. You’ve got to understand that there’s more to the game than just trying to be flashy. He had a tough night,” said Julien, per CSN New England.
Julien wasn’t trying to single Pastrnak out, but it was a costly mistake at that point in the game. The Bruins had just tied the Flyers, 1-1, at 13:28 of the first period. The Bruins’ inability to complete a line change, a direct result of Pastrnak’s weak clearance, allowed the Flyers to regain the lead at 15:04.
Philadelphia would go on to win the game, 5-4, in overtime.
“We were bad as a team, and a lot of guys would just go into battle and take a swing at the puck and curl the other way,” said Julien. “That’s not the way we play and it’s not the way we’re going to accept players to play on our team.”