Bruins could use more from Pastrnak

The Bruins couldn’t have penned a better script to close out their opening playoff series Wednesday night.

Mired in a tug-of-war with the Panthers throughout Game 5 on Causeway Street, a power-play opportunity at 16:25 of the third period gave them the chance to deliver the coup de grace.

In a sport where seasons can be decided by the fortuitous bounce of the puck, putting one’s hopes into a single power play might seem foolhardy. But then again, fortune tends to fall in your favor when you have David Pastrnak on the man-advantage.

Pastrnak’s potent shot from the left circle has splintered some of the stingiest penalty-kill structures in the NHL this season.

But against a pedestrian Panthers unit (23rd in the NHL), Pastrnak — much like his team — couldn’t close this chapter in what the Bruins hope is a promising Stanley Cup run.

“I thought our power play could have sealed the game there, the last power play,” coach Jim Montgomery said following the Bruins’ 4-3 overtime loss. “I don’t even know if we got a good look on it, to be honest.”

The Bruins generated only one shot against Sergei Bobrovsky in that lategame power play. Pastrnak, with 18 power-play tallies this season, had a costly giveaway during his nearly 90-second shift. He didn’t land a shot.

It was a disheartening showing from the Bruins’ top offensive conduit, who has been limited to two goals and no assists over the five games in the series.

In his 23:47 of ice time in Game 5, Pastrnak was held to four shots on goal — including just one over 5:52 of power-play time.

Pastrnak’s scoring outage has been an outlier in a playoff round in which other Boston forwards such as Taylor Hall (5 goals, 8 points) and Brad Marchand (4 goals, 6 points) have feasted.

Compounding the Bruins’ woes have been uncharacteristic lapses with puck management. They coughed up 17 giveaways in Game 5, two more than they had in the boondoggle that was their Game 2 defeat.

Pastrnak surrendered the puck three times Wednesday, headlined by his errant pass on the man advantage that led to an easy clear by Gustav Forsling, chewing valuable time off the clock.

Of course, some context is necessary when gauging giveaways.

Pastrnak led the NHL this season with 109 giveaways over 82 games. The other four skaters who hit triple digits? Evgeni Malkin (105), Artemi Panarin (102), Leon Draisaitl (102), and Erik Karlsson (101).

Players with high-end talent in the offensive zone are going to hold the puck and trade chances at a far greater rate, especially if those risky seam passes or dekes down low lead to goals.

For every flubbed feed or failed zone entry by a Pastrnak or Draisaitl, they tend to atone with plenty of production.

A team like the Bruins, anchored by stout goaltending and a structured defense, can tolerate Pastrnak’s turnovers so long as he’s getting his name onto the scoresheet.

But so far, that give-and-take approach with Pastrnak’s game hasn’t benefited them against the Panthers.

“The puck’s not going in right now for him,” Montgomery said. “It’s just a matter of time. I thought he worked really hard, I thought he won a lot of battles. I thought he was more involved maybe than he was in the first two games at home. Like, it’s just a matter of time. He’s just too good.”

Montgomery’s confidence in Pastrnak is well placed, as it should be for any player who had 61 goals in the regular season.

In overtime Wednesday, Pastrnak came within inches of changing his blank stat line with a booming one-timer off the rush. Bobrovsky withstood Pastrnak’s blast, the puck skittering just wide.

Pastrnak, much like Linus Ullmark, tends to have the “mind of a goldfish” when his game falls below his lofty standards.

Just with a bit more of a bite. Following a two-shot performance in Game 2, Pastrnak attempted 13 shots in the Bruins’ 4-2 win at FLA Live Arena two days later — with one of the seven he got on net beating Alex Lyon off a breakaway.

“He’s going to start smelling blood,” Montgomery said Saturday following Game 3. “He’s like a great white — smells blood in the water.”

The Bruins are holding out hope for a similar script to play out during their trek to South Florida Friday night.