Jack Johnson was in good shape. On Dec. 27, 2024, once David Pastrnak stickhandled out of the left corner at Nationwide Arena, the Columbus Blue Jackets defenseman broke for the near post to deny his opponent’s net-front arrival. By doing so, Johnson angled Pastrnak to where the majority of NHL players cannot score: behind the net.
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The Boston Bruins right wing didn’t have many options. Instead of stopping in front for a between-the-dots bumper shot, Pavel Zacha cut across the slot. Damon Severson filled Pastrnak’s passing lane to Morgan Geekie inside the left faceoff dot.
But Pastrnak can make something out of nothing. When he carries the puck behind the net,
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