( Photo Credit: Jeff Roberson / Associated Press )

By: Carrie Young  |  Follow Me On Twitter @carrieyoung512

David Pastrnak was awarded the Most Valuable Player award at the 2020 NHL All-Star Game after impressive performances in the semi-final against the Metropolitan Division and the final against the Pacific division. Pastrnak was named as the captain of the Atlantic Division team in a fan vote, beating out stars such as Jack Eichel, Auston Matthews, and teammate Brad Marchand. This was Pastrnak’s second All-Star appearance. He also represented the Bruins in San Jose for the 2019 All-Star Weekend, winning the accuracy shooting contest during the skills competition.

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Tuukka Rask was also awarded with a trip to St. Louis, but did not travel due to injury, leaving Pastrnak as the only Boston Bruin to participate in this year’s All-Star events. Pastrnak competed in the Shooting Stars event on Friday, coming in ninth place with 10 points.

The All-Star Game commenced on Saturday night with the Atlantic division facing off against the Metropolitan division. Pastrnak scored 26 seconds in, assisted by the Tampa Bay Lightning’s Victor Hedman.

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Later in the period, with the Metropolitan division leading 4-3, Pastrnak dangled to beat Braden Holtby for his second goal of the game. Hedman and Buffalo’s Jack Eichel provided the assists.

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After assisting on a goal by Hedman, Pastrnak scored his third of the night with an empty-netter to make it 8-5 in favor of the Atlantic division. With the win, the Atlantic division went on to face the winner of the Central-Pacific matchup.

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In the final game against the Pacific division, Pastrnak assisted on the first goal by Hedman 24 seconds into the period. He then scored his first of the game to extend the Atlantic’s lead to 3-1.

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The Pacific division ended up with a 5-4 victory. Despite the loss, Pastrnak ended the night with four goals and two assists and won the Most Valuable Player fan vote, beating out Leon Draisaitl, Anthony Duclair, and Matthew Tkachuk.

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Pastrnak is the fourth Bruins player to win All-Star MVP, joining an elite group with some of the greatest players in Bruins history. Bobby Orr won the award in 1972, Ray Borque won it in 1996, and Bill Guerin won it in 2001. Pastrnak was gifted a new car for his efforts.

Though the All-Star Game doesn’t count toward the standings, it’s a great opportunity for fans to see the league’s brightest stars all on one rink. David Pastrnak is certainly one of the NHL’s best, currently leading the league with 37 goals and accumulating 70 points in 51 games. He will be a player to watch in the race for the Maurice Richard Trophy. More importantly, however, he will be seeking to lead the Bruins to another deep playoff run this spring.

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Check out the new Black N’ Gold Hockey Podcast episode 163 that we recorded below! You can find our show on many worldwide platforms such as Apple Podcasts, Google Podcasts, iHeart Radio, Spotify, SoundCloud, and Stitcher.

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