David Pastrnak said he was not hurt after the Boston Bruins were beaten 6-1 by the Sabres in Game 4 on Tuesday, pushing back on the kind of questions that often trail a player who looks off in the playoffs.
Through four games, Pastrnak has one goal and four assists, production that still leaves him averaging more than a point per game. But the winger did not look like his usual self in the loss. He appeared slow by playoff standards, was knocked off the puck too easily and did not seem to be sticking his nose into the fight to absorb contact.
Pastrnak is the Bruins' top offensive player, which makes his condition a central issue whenever Boston's attack stalls. Hockey also has a long record of keeping injuries quiet, especially once the Stanley Cup Playoffs begin, when players often downplay pain and teams have every reason to avoid giving opponents extra information.
That is part of what made the after-game denial worth more than a routine answer. Pastrnak has been through this before. In a previous playoff series, he looked beaten up, only for it later to emerge that he had been playing through an injury. That history will hang over him and the Bruins until his pace matches his production, or the club gives a clearer explanation for the gap.