David Pastrnak notches 11th career NHL hat trick

For the 11th time in his National Hockey League career, David Pastrnak of the Boston Bruins registered a hat trick. What made this three-goal game so unique however, is the fact that this one came outdoors on Sunday night, from the 18th green of the Lake Tahoe golf course, as the Bruins defeated the Philadelphia Flyers 7-3 with ease.

In the second of two NHL outdoor games at Lake Tahoe, NV this weekend, (the first came on Saturday as the Colorado Avalanche defeated the Vegas Golden Knights 3-2), Pastrnak scored a goal in each period.

Pastrnak, a native of Havirov, Czech Republic, began the scoring at the 34-second mark on a goal from his dynamic linemates, Brad Marchand and Patrice Bergeron, to put the Bruins up 1-0. He then put the Bruins up 3-2 in the second period on a goal from Nick Ritchie and Urho Vaakanainen of Joensuu, Finland. For Vaakanainen, it was his first career National Hockey League career point, as the Bruins’ first-round draft pick in the 2017 NHL Entry Draft, was playing in his eighth career game. Then in the third period, Pastrnak scored the Bruins’ only goal of the final stanza at 17:04 from Jack Studnicka.

Pastrnak was one of six Bruins to have a multi-point game. The others were Nick Ritchie (one goal and one assist), Connor Clifton, Marchand, John Moore, and Craig Smith (two assists each). The other Bruins to score were Charlie Coyle, Trent Frederic, and Charlie McAvoy.

This was the second hat trick for Pastrnak in the last month against the Flyers. He previously scored thrice on February 3, in a 4-3 Bruins overtime win on February 3.

In nine games, Pastrnak now has nine goals and five assists for 14 points. He is a +5 with two penalty minutes, four power-play points, 36 shots on goal, four blocked shots, three hits, five takeaways, and eight giveaways.

With the win, the Bruins lead the East Division with a record of 11 wins, three regulation losses, and two losses in extra time for 24 points. They are three points up on the second-place Washington Capitals.