BOSTON – There was finally signs of progress with 19-year-old David Pastrnak as the right wing returned to the ice, and skated on his own for a couple of days prior to the team leaving for Montreal and a Wednesday night date with the Canadiens. Pastrnak has been out since Oct. 31 with a fractured left foot, so the road game vs. the Habs will be the 17th game that the skilled right winger is missing with the injury.
Claude Julien indicated he wasn’t close to a return when talking about Pastrnak following Tuesday’s practice at TD Garden, but the fact alone that he’s no longer stuck with a left boot and crutches should certainly be seen as a positive.
“There’s no timetable on my end of it,” said Claude Julien. “I know he’s skating on his own, so it’s nice to see him on the ice. But I haven’t been told [anything] yet. Usually they’ll tell me a few days ahead of time if he’s going to be skating with the team. I haven’t heard that yet.”
It’s been more than a month since the last time Pastrnak played in a game, so it would take him some time to round into game shape even when he does finally return to the practice fold. It will be a welcomed return for the right winger given Pastrnak’s dazzling offensive potential along with some of the inconsistent play that Boston has received from the right side of their forward group aside from Loui Eriksson.