James Hagens gave Marco Sturm another reason to trust him after David Pastrnak pointed to one part of the rookie's game that stood out fast.

That matters because Pastrnak did not go straight to skill or flash. He highlighted Hagens' wall play, which tells you what really caught the eye inside Boston's room.

For a young forward, that is a big compliment. Winning pucks on the wall, staying strong in traffic, and making the next play clean is how rookies stay in a playoff lineup.

Pastrnak's other line hit just as hard. He said, “Can't wait to see more of this kid.”

That is not empty praise from the Bruins' biggest offensive star. It sounds like a veteran already seeing a player who can help in real games, not just survive a call-up.

And Hagens backed that up in his first 2 NHL games. He picked up his first point Sunday, then followed it with a quieter but still strong showing in a 4-0 win over New Jersey.

Boston locked in its first-round matchup with Buffalo that night, but Hagens still pulled real attention because his game stayed useful even without another point.

Pastrnak’s observation about James Hagens is getting major attention

The strongest detail from Tuesday was not offense. It was how settled he looked away from the puck.

The file's read on his game matches Pastrnak's reaction. Hagens was aggressive on the forecheck, got into passing lanes, and stayed composed when it was time to clear the zone.

That is why the wall-play comment matters so much. Pastrnak was basically pointing at the same thing: Hagens is already doing the little pro details that make coaches trust young players.

There is another layer here too. The article argued that the Khusnutdinov-Minten-Hagens line may become one of Boston's most important groups in the playoffs because of its speed, skill, and defensive value.

That is a serious jump from “nice debut” talk. It means Hagens is already getting looked at through a playoff lens.

Sturm will still want cleaner offensive decisions from him at times. The article noted some forced plays early against New Jersey before Hagens settled in.

But that is the encouraging part. He did settle. He did not drift out of the game, and now Pastrnak is publicly backing what he brings.

For Boston, that is the real takeaway. James Hagens may not have filled the scoresheet Tuesday, but he played the kind of game veterans notice, and David Pastrnak just made that impossible to miss.

Source: Bruins' James Hagens Quietly Impresses in First Game at TD Garden