Rookie forward Pastrnak will stay with Bruins

BOSTON -- Rookie forward David Pastrnak will remain with the Boston Bruins, general manager Peter Chiarelli said Thursday during a 3-0 win against the New York Rangers at TD Garden.

"He's going to be up here and we're happy to make that decision and we're going to continue to look at it as a development piece, which means that, as we've done before with some of the younger players, it doesn't mean you're in the lineup all the time," Chiarelli said in the first intermission.

"There may be points in time when his play dips a little bit and we may sit him down for a game or two here or there, but I think the important thing to take away from this is that he's going to be up with the big team, practice with the team, and hopefully play on a regular basis."

Deciding to keep the 18-year-old past nine NHL games uses the first year of his entry-level contract.

Pastrnak scored four goals in two games leading into Thursday, playing on a line with David Krejci and Milan Lucic. Boston has won four games since Pastrnak rejoined the lineup Jan. 8, and five in a row overall.

"I'm going to stay here for the whole season so I have to keep working and every day leave 100 percent for the team," Pastrnak said.

He appeared in five games earlier this season, making his NHL debut against the Pittsburgh Penguins on Nov. 24.

Chiarelli said Pastrnak's recent play for the Bruins factored into the decision, and his performance for Providence in the American Hockey League highlighted his strong foundation and willingness to buy into the Bruins' plans.

Pastrnak, the 25th pick in the 2014 NHL Draft, had 10 goals and 27 points with a plus-14 rating in 24 games with Providence.

"The consensus was this guy belongs here and it's going to be up to me to manage it the way I should manage it, help him continue to improve and grow and get some experience, and if he has some tough nights make sure I don't expose him," Bruins coach Claude Julien said. "That's part of a young player who's only 18 years old, that's part of his development and us doing the right thing for him."