Highlights from David Pastrnak’s All-Star weekend

David Pastrnak is well on pace for another career season when the Bruins return from their 10-day break. Yet, he still has room to fit some firsts in his already stellar career as seen in this year’s All-Star weekend in St. Louis.

Pastrnak, in his second All-Star weekend appearance, already tabbed his first captaincy in hockey as the leading vote-getter in the Atlantic Division. The firsts continued into the skills competition where he participated in the debuting Shooting Stars event with nine other of the finest stars in the sport, including two of the best female hockey players in the world in Hilary Knight and Marie-Philip Poulin.

With just 10 points, Pastrnak finished second to last in the Shooting Stars contest. Here’s a full look at the unique event to cap off the Friday portion of All-Star weekend.

At least from an on-ice perspective, Pastrnak saved his best for Saturday’s 3-on-3 tournament. The crafty Czech playmaker tallied four points — including a hat trick — in the Atlantic Division’s 9-5 triumph over the Metropolitan Division.

Pastrnak and the rest of the Atlantic Division All-Stars fell to the Pacific Division in the final. Yet, even in the 5-4 defeat, a surprised Pastrnak still earned All-Star Game MVP honors after adding a goal and an assist to cap off his second appearance with the game’s brightest stars.

“Definitely surprised,” Pastrnak told reporters at Enterprise Center afterward. “I would expect the winner should win MVP, you know?”

Well, Pastrnak wasn’t the only Bruin who felt surprised this weekend. After all, Pastrnak might have broken an unwritten rule for backchecking during the All-Star Game.

We’re pretty certain that Patrice Bergeron felt proud assuming he watched Pastrnak’s “defensive prowess” in the high-scoring affair. Perhaps he’ll display that back-checking skill when the team returns from their bye week on Friday night in Winnipeg.

“The first shift of the Game 1 against Metro,” head coach Bruce Cassidy, who served as the bench boss for the Atlantic Division, told reporters, “he back checked all the way to the goal line. I was like, where was this all year?” “Nah, he was good. He was chatting with the guys. He enjoyed the moment. They’re all good guys.”

The firsts keep on coming for David Pastrnak, and he’ll likely have more to come. After all, he’s only three goals shy of becoming the first Bruin to net 40 since Glen Murray in 2002-03.