BOSTON -- David Pastrnak is a game-time decision for the Boston Bruins against the St. Louis Blues at Enterprise Center on Tuesday (8 p.m. ET; FDSNSW, NESN).
The forward traveled with the Bruins for their three-game road trip. He has missed five games with an undisclosed injury.
"He pushed himself yesterday, he pushed himself before," Bruins coach Marco Sturm said following the morning skate. "The reports so far have been good. Talking to David today and the medical staff, we just want to make sure he's going to be 100 percent. If you're going to make another two, three, four days, we're going to take it. We just want to make sure."
Pastrnak (undisclosed) has not played since Nov. 26, a 3-1 win at the New York Islanders. It was an injury he'd had before, so he said he fully expected to return the following game, two days later against the New York Rangers. Instead, he had not skated with the Bruins until Monday, when he took the ice in a noncontact jersey ahead of the flight to St. Louis.
“It [stinks],” Pastrnak said. “I’m happy I was back out there today. Felt great. See how I feel tomorrow. I’ve been pretty fortunate the last couple years, so just want to get back out there.”
Pastrnak has 29 points (11 goals, 18 assists) in 25 games this season.
“When the injury happened, I honestly thought I will be playing next game and I wasn’t able to,” Pastrnak said. “So, something new. It’s tough. But at the end of the day … I’ve been able to work on my game outside of the ice too. The trainer’s doing a great job. Feel good now.”
Charlie McAvoy is also on the road trip and skated Tuesday while wearing a partial face shield but will miss his 11th consecutive game. The defenseman was hit in the face with a puck during a 3-2 win at the Montreal Canadiens on Nov. 15, necessitating facial surgery. He said he's lost 20 pounds and has been limited to a liquid diet that was supposed to last six weeks.
He has 14 points, all assists, in 19 games, and leads Boston in time on ice per game (23:46).
“Getting it back,” McAvoy said Monday. “One day at a time, but every day I feel better so keep doing that.”
Pastrnak and McAvoy each said that they did not know when they could return, but that they were hoping and expecting to at some point on the trip. McAvoy said he’s getting the chance to skate more and skate longer, as his strength starts to return.
“We’ll see,” McAvoy said. “I’m going on the trip with the expectation, hoping that at some point along the way on the trip I’ll be able to get back in.”
Getting each of them back would be monumental for Boston (17-13-0), which is tied with the Tampa Bay Lightning for second in the Atlantic Division, one point behind the Detroit Red Wings. The Bruins have gone 4-2-0 in the past six games, even without Pastrnak and McAvoy.
“No matter who’s in or out, we play the same way,” McAvoy said. “Guys step up, we get big goals from guys, and defensively, we’re just a tough out. I think we’ve come a long way from the beginning of the year, when we were trying to understand what ‘Sturmy’ wanted from us to now where we’re playing a winning style; every night we’re going to be a tough out and that was what we wanted to be in the summer when we talked about it.
“We’re doing really good, about 30 (games) in now, but we’ve got a long way to go. But I think that’s even more encouraging as we can keep getting better.”
NHL.com independent correspondent Lou Korac contributed to this report
