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Bruins: David Pastrnak scores four in Bruins' victory over Anaheim Ducks

Mike Loftus, @MLoftus_Ledger
Bruins goaltender Jaroslav Halak, left, and winger David Pastrnak celebrate after defeating the Anaheim Ducks on Monday at TD Garden, led by Halak's 30 saves and Pastrnak's four goals in a 4-2 win. [The Associated Press]

BOSTON — Sometimes it seems a little unfair.

You’re outplaying your opponent by a pretty significant margin, but then one bad pass puts the puck on the stick of a gifted playmaker, who puts the puck on the stick of an elite goal scorer, who puts the puck in your net, and suddenly you’re farther behind than before.

Or you score a clear, clean win on a defensive-zone faceoff, but the puck rockets off a teammate’s skate and right onto the stick of that elite goal scorer, who puts it past your goalie to make a comeback much less realistic.

David Pastrnak doesn’t really need help like that, but the Bruins winger got it Monday afternoon during a career-first, four-goal afternoon that led a 4-2 decision over the Anaheim Ducks at TD Garden. Pastrnak scored twice at even strength, twice on power plays, and did all that on only five shots on goal.

“That’s what I’m getting paid for,” said Pastrnak, who is 6-4—10 over the Bruins’ last four games after being shut out in the first two. “Obviously, it’s good for your confidence to get some goals. And my (linemates) made a couple plays — nice passes from them.”

Those linemates, Brad Marchand (2 assists) and Patrice Bergeron (1 assist), extended points streaks to five games. Meanwhile, defenseman Torey Krug was in on the setup for both of Pastrnak’s power-play goals.

That those were the only four names to appear on the Bruins’ side of the score sheet remained a concern for B's coach Bruce Cassidy, despite his team’s 5-1-0 record.

Another worry: Weak second periods, which have threatened to tear down all the good done during so many positive starts.

“(Monday) was probably the worst … where we just sort of lost our urgency all over the ice,” Cassidy said. “Our first periods have been terrific. We’re starting on time. You’re going to naturally have a push from the other team, but we’ve got to get a little more into work mode in those second periods.”

The Bruins took a 1-0 lead just 4:18 into the game, when Pastrnak one-timed Bergeron’s feed past John Gibson from the left circle during a power play.

Holding that lead through 20 minutes gave them a 10-3 advantage in first-period goals this season, but after outshooting the Ducks, 8-1, at one point, they were up by only 11-8 at the end of the period.

That trend continued, and goalie Jaroslav Halak (30 saves) was frequently tested, in the second period, but the B’s nonetheless managed to extend the lead at one point. That was because Marchand stole a pass from Hampus Lindholm behind the Ducks’ blue line, and hit Pastrnak to finish off a quick two-on-one at 11:38.

The Bruins, outshot, 16-6, in the second, gave up a goal to Rickard Rickell in transition at 17:52, but the type of break Pastrnak hardly needs helped him finish his fifth career hat trick 2:20 into the third.

Bergeron lost an offensive-zone faceoff to Sam Steel, but the puck hit defenseman Josh Manson’s skate and caromed straight to Pastrnak for a quick shot through Gibson. The last of Pastrnak’s goals made it 4-1 just 2:14 later, a right-post redirect of Marchand’s perfect pass from the left circle during a power play.

“He’s got that talent and that instinct,” Bergeron said of his 23-year-old linemate, who was threatening the 40-goal mark last year (he scored 38) until he lost 16 games to an off-ice thumb injury. “Also, he wants to be a difference maker, so he gets to the dirty areas.

“It’s not always easy to get to the net all the time, but he does. He finds a way. It’s pretty impressive.”

Cassidy said he needs other forwards to start finding a way, and the search may become a little more complicated: No. 2 center David Krecji left Monday’s game two shifts into the second period with an undisclosed injury; his status for Thursday’s game here against the Tampa Bay Lightning is uncertain.

“I’m happy (the Marchand-Bergeron-Pastrnak line) is going, and the power-play unit’s found their mojo again. That’s good,” he said. “But my mind’s more on the other group. What could we do to help them get going? And what can they do themselves to help themselves? We’ll keep looking at it.”