Czechia doesn’t have room for excuses now, because the Olympics have moved into survival hockey.

Ahead of the Denmark elimination game, Pastrnak didn’t point fingers at teammates or bounces. He pointed straight at the mirror and said it out loud.

“I have to be better. And I believe I will be.”

“The biggest pressure I put on myself. I have huge expectations of myself, whether in the national team or every day in Boston.”

That’s not PR talk, that’s a star admitting the moment feels heavy. And it lines up with what we all know about him, he plays best when he’s a little mad at himself.

Pastrnak is carrying Boston again this season at 22-49-71, so the standard in his head is already sky-high.

Czechia’s group stage left them in the qualifying round, and now Denmark is the door they have to kick down to keep going. If they win, the prize is brutal, a quarterfinal against Team Canada.

That’s why this Denmark game feels like a must-win and a must-perform, especially for No. 88.

David Pastrnak feeling the pressure at the Olympics

He also added the rally cry that tells you Czechia isn’t thinking about “good effort” medals.

“We'll fight and leave everything out there to win tomorrow. Then we'll keep talking.“

That’s the right mindset for a one-and-done day, because Denmark will try to drag this into a grinding, low-event game.

It's clear that nerves are getting to David Pastrnak, and it makes complete sense. It's every kid's dream to represent their country on the biggest stage in hockey, and Pastrnak is doing it for the first time in his career.

Moving forward, he is going to have to be better for Czechia if they want to make it any further and will have to shake off the nerves.

Pastrnak is a game-changing player, and that's what Czechia is going to need from him in their game vs. Denmark.