Bruins still confident in David Pastrnak, but what can winger do to get back on track?

The Boston Bruins’ 2017-18 campaign came to an end in the second round of the Stanley Cup Playoffs — in spite of David Pastrnak’s best efforts to rewrite the script.

In just 12 playoff matchups, the young winger was a force in the offensive zone, tallying six goals and generating 20 total points to finish in a tie for fifth overall in postseason scoring, despite the fact that the top of leaderboard had players with double the amount of games as Evgeny Kuznetsov (32 points over 24 GP) and Alex Ovechkin (27 points over 24 GP).

While Pastrnak’s patented one-timer from the left circle on the power play has been a major asset, he delivered during 5v5 play as well during last year’s playoff run — with five of his goals coming at even strength.

Fast-forward to the 2018-19 postseason, and on paper, the stats still hold — two goals and six total points over eight games played. But given his level of production during the regular season (38 goals in 66 games) and the good ole’ fashioned eye test, it seems as though something has been a bit off with Pastrnak’s game so far during these playoffs.

He’s been juggled between his regular spot on Patrice Bergeron’s line and Boston’s other top-six combination with David Krejci and Jake DeBrusk — but in both spots, the results have been largely mixed during 5v5 play.

In 47:49 of 5v5 TOI in which Pastrnak, Bergeron and Brad Marchand have skated together this postseason, Boston has only scored one goal — while being knocked for a pair of goals against. The line has also posted a minus-3 shot differential, with the opposition generating nine high-danger scoring chances to the Bergeron line’s seven.  

The results aren’t much better on the second line — as the new-look Krejci trio has generated a 48.25 CF% through 52:49 of 5v5 TOI so far this postseason, once again only tallying one goal while posting a minus-4 differential when it comes to scoring chances.

It’s a far cry from the regular season, when Krejci and Pastrnak generated a whopping 17 5v5 goals in 296:00 of TOI together, to go along with a plus-27 shot differential.

Add in the fact that the sniper has only managed to land a combined three shots on goal in each of Boston’s last two playoff matchups — Game 7 against Toronto and Game 1 against Columbus — and it seems rather evident that Pastrnak has not been his usual dynamic self in the O-zone.

(Another look at the dip in Pastrnak's production this postseason — despite generating close to the same number of chances.)



While he’s still a little over two months removed from thumb surgery, Pastrnak reiterated on Friday afternoon that he feels “100 percent” since returning from injury — and the stats back him up if we’re looking at the regular season, as he tallied seven goals and notched 15 total points in the 10 games that he was able to play in before the playoffs got underway.

So what’s ailing Boston’s top sniper?



“It’s a tough league,” Pastrnak said. “You can’t score every time. I just have to find another way to help the team.”

Thursday’s Game 1 win over the Blue Jackets brought more frustration for Pastrnak — who whiffed on a number of shots in the O-zone while also getting three other attempts blocked in front.





The Blue Jackets, like most clubs led by John Tortorella, are more than willing to step in front of shots to take away scoring attempts, but Bruce Cassidy noted at Warrior Ice Arena that Pastrnak’s millisecond of hesitation, when given a chance to strike, has costed him. Still, Boston’s bench boss isn’t taking away the green light any time soon.

“I find he’s a little more hesitant on the power play, on the elbow, from just ripping it on the net … He did shoot one that did end up rattling around, Marchy hits the crossbar, so we’re going to encourage him to keeping pounding the puck on the net,” Cassidy said. “Usually, there’s not a lot of bad things that happen when you shoot the puck especially the way he does. That could be it, could be guys are closing on him a little quicker.”

Pastrnak concurred.

“Maybe I would like myself to shoot a little more. Passing on a couple of shots,” he said. “That’s normal, sometimes I just think the passes are better. I have to get back to shooting the puck more.”

Of course, there’s a happy medium that most of the tops scorers in the NHL have found in the offensive zone. They’ll get their shots, sure, but playmakers like Pastrnak are also more than willing to find the open man when available, especially during a situation in which the D starts to collapse or a skater bites in an effort to deny a shooting lane.

Toronto’s penalty kill made an effort to take away Pastrnak’s one-timer from the left circle last series by clogging up the slot and disrupting the seam feed, but Boston managed to still find the open man by diverting the puck up to the point and along the half wall.

So far, in the gigantic sample size of one game against Columbus, it’s clear that the Jackets are willing to defer some of the ice up top if needed, even if it allows Pastrnak to get the puck in his office — but an easy shooting lane to Sergei Bobrovsky is not going to be afforded to Boston, with big bodies like Seth Jones and David Savard standing in the way.

In those situations, Cassidy and Boston would just as happy for Pastrnak to settle on a primary assist, rather than lofting a puck into Jones’ gut.

“I think they’re getting in his shooting lane and there’s some opportunity to go backdoor to Johansson or Jake or Marchy," Cassidy said. "Last tonight, we missed one. Made a hell of a play to Marchy on the power play that was just tipped wide. That might be a little bit of what’s available, so in that area, I guess, not as much volume.”

(The play in question that Cassidy referenced from Game 1. Nice slap pass from Pastrnak with Marchand waiting backdoor  — just poor puck luck.)



For now, Boston’s offense has continued to stay afloat, although most of it has come from the bottom six — with Charlie Coyle, Marcus Johansson, Noel Acciari, Sean Kuraly and Joakim Nordstrom tallying seven of Boston’s last eight postseason goals.

But Boston is going to need its big guns to capitalize soon, especially with David Krejci tabbed as possible game-time decision for Saturday’s Game 2 due to an undisclosed injury. The pivot was struck by Riley Nash in the third period on Thursday and did not play in overtime.

Regardless of who is centering Pastrnak on Saturday, the Bruins are going to need him to strike when those shooting lines are open — or hit his teammate when the backdoor option is there. As expected, the Bruins aren’t losing faith in their top goal scorer any time soon.

“The things he’s done all year, which is, be hard on the puck,” Cassidy said of what Pastrnak needs to do to get back on track. “Second effort around the net, play inside. Look to shoot, funnel. I thought he was physical in certain games. Obviously, earlier in the playoffs when that was required. Wins puck battles on the wall. We’re not that down on Pasta.

“Obviously the goal total — he scored two goals in the one game and hasn’t in the others. Some of that is just the way it goes sometimes. Other than the way the other team checks. We just want to make sure that he’s staying positive and being a contributor for us. Eventually, I believe he’ll score. That’s how he’s made some of his best contributions, obviously."