Why 4 Nations Could ‘Fuel Fire’ For Bruins Star David Pastrnak

The Boston Bruins return to action Saturday after the league’s two-week break coinciding with the 4 Nations Face-Off tournament.

The Black and Gold will host the Anaheim Ducks, kicking off a frantic final 25 games for the Bruins who sit two points out of a wild-card spot in the Eastern Conference.

Analyst and retired Bruins forward Andy Brickley joined Kasey Hudson on NESN’s “The Hockey Hub” podcast to discuss how the round-robin tournament could actually help Boston down the stretch as they push for a playoff spot — especially David Pastrnak.

“I think he was pretty disappointed that he wasn’t part of this, this NHL-sanctioned event,” Brickley said of Pastrnak. “The fact that it was four nations and he’s not from one of those four nations, I think that was a little bit bothersome to him.

“I didn’t have a conversation with him. I can’t say that for certain, but I’ve got to believe, especially when you’re the hottest guy in the NHL, and now the NHL’s on center stage and you’re not part of it, that’s got to be a little disheartening.”

Brickley added: “I think it’s just going to fuel the fire. I think it’s going to be part of that. He knows what he’s doing. He knows how successful he can be. He’s grown as a player. His ability to create offense, his ability to make plays when teams overplay him, his ability to move the puck, I think, has grown exponentially in his game. He has more assists than he has goals in his career. It tells you something; they’re not all rebounds, you know.”

Pastrnak is riding a 13-game point streak. He’s tallied 11 goals and 15 assists for 26 points in that span and he’s scored 15 goals and posted 31 points over his last 18 games.

To hear more of Brickley’s take on Pastrnak’s heater of a season and how Charlie McAvoy’s injury impacts the Bruins going forward on “The Hockey Hub” tune in by listening on Spotify or watching on YouTube.