The Boston Bruins are off to a fiery start to begin the season.
The club is 3-1-0 and the top line is firing on all cylinders. That line has benefited from the productive starts of usual suspects Brad Marchand and Patrice Bergeron, but it's the third piece of the puzzle, David Pastrnak, who's impressed coach Claude Julien the most.
"He's a young player who's matured into the player we thought he was going to be," Julien said of Pastrnak following Thursday's win.
The 20-year-old picked up an assist on Bergeron's game-winner against the New Jersey Devils, and early on has tallied at least one point in each of the Bruins' first four games.
After being plucked 25th overall in 2014 and enjoying marginal success in 97 games spread over two seasons, Pastrnak appears to finally be unleashing his offensive prowess, recording four goals and seven points so far this season.
That said, Bergeron insists he's done much more than just provide offense.
"He's been tremendous from Game 1," Bergeron said, according to NHL.com's Eric Russo. "His compete level, but also the way he creates space for himself and for us, and he's using his speed as well. That's a perfect indication on that play that he used his body, but also he used his speed to kind of create some space for himself and keep the puck in their zone."
Pastrnak's production has likely been a relief for the Bruins brass, which has been waiting for his true potential to finally be realized.
Copyright © 2016 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.