An unpredictable & effective David Pastrnak is pushing Bruins’ top line to new heights

For the first time since October 12, David Pastrnak failed to light the lamp in a regular-season matchup. 

In the five games preceding Boston’s 7-4 trouncing of the Rangers on Sunday night, Pastrnak was the bane of many a netminder around the league — finding the back of the net nine times during that stretch. At one point, the 23-year-old forward tallied five straight goals for Boston — falling just one short of the franchise record (Glen Murray, six consecutive goals in 2004). 

But under the bright lights of Madison Square Garden, Pastrnak opted to not simply lurk around his office at the left circle, waiting to uncork a one-time bomb.  Rather, the winger instead put more emphasis on the finer details of his game — establishing himself at the netfront, winning battles at the half wall and more.

Patrice Bergeron appreciated his linemate’s efforts when it came to growing his game against the Blueshirts, rather than just relying on his already established strengths in the offensive zone. 

But just because Pastrnak didn’t score a goal — it doesn’t mean that the Rangers had an answer for him on Sunday night.

“I think he’s got five points,” Bergeron joked when asked to comment on his teammate’s focus on the “little things” against New York.



In a contest in which he failed to score, Pastrnak still managed to generate his highest single-game scoring total of the 2019-20 campaign — recording what stands as just the 13th five-assist game in Bruins’ franchise history, and the first since Bergeron accomplished the feat back on Dec. 12, 2006 against Ottawa.

It was just one of many dominant individual performances on Sunday, with the B's top line of Pastrnak, Bergeron and Brad Marchand combining for five goals and 13 total points. There's little that hasn't already been said about this trio — but this torrid stretch as of late is causing many of us to start drafting up even more praise.

Over the last 10 games, Pastrnak (11G-12A-23 points), Marchand (7-13-20) and Bergeron (5-6-11) have racked up an absurd 54 points — with Pastrnak currently on pace for 82 goals and 171 points this season.

The Bergeron line's continued improvement has a lot to do with Pastrnak's development into more than just a tried-and-true sniper and power-play ace.  Pastrnak, who has accrued the most points for a winger through his team's first 11 games since Jaromir Jagr also posted 23 points in 1999-00, has made his mark all over the O-zone to start this season, with just three of his 11 goals coming by way of the one-timer in the left circle.



While Pastrnak's shot selection has certainly diversified, so has his overall method of attack when he has the puck on his stick. In previous years, he likely would have operated near the left circle or further out — using his wheels to look for ideal shooting lanes.

But these days, Pastrnak often tends to improv on the fly — much to the distress of the opposing defense.

"I think that’s the thing with him," Marchand said. "He does it all right now. He’s so confident — you never know what he’s gonna do with the puck. Even we don’t know. … It’s not often you see a guy with a breakaway and a try to do a drop pass. Just shows where his head’s at. He feels like he can do anything. When he feels like that, he’s dangerous.”

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Accounting for Bergeron and Marchand on the same line is already tough enough, but add in a player that's become even more of a wild card to game plan for in Pastrnak? You're looking at a nightmare of a defensive assignment.

Pastrnak's five-assist night was indicative of his willingness to test a defense in a number of ways. His first helper? Generated off of a hard-nosed rush towards Henrik Lundqvist in net. Bergeron's second goal of the game was jumpstarted by a sequence in which Pastrnak managed to keep the puck away from Chris Kreider and Libor Hajek along the boards, allowing Bergeron to win the puck battle and chip it into the Rangers' zone.

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Perhaps best showcased by his between-the-legs goal against the Maple Leafs on Tuesday, Pastrnak is getting to a point in which he can impact a shift just about anywhere out on the ice — whether it be in the Grade-A areas down low, along the boards or in the high slot.

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While opting for a drop pass on a breakaway may not be the most conducive way to cash in on scoring chances, Pastrnak's ability to keep the defense guessing as to what he's going to do next is an ace up the Bruins' sleeve that is going to be hard for teams to solve any time soon. 

"I don’t know if he knows what he’s going to do," Marchand said of Pastrnak's unpredictable O-zone moves. "It’s tough for anyone else to know what he’s gonna do. He just has so many ways that he can beat you. He can take it to the net, shoot, pass. He’s physical, he’s not scared to go in and stand in the corners and compete. Same with the net front. It’s hard to compete with a guy like that and stop him. No matter how you try to shut him down, he can score another way."

Boston's top line doesn't seem to be slowing down, especially with Pastrnak still likely not showing his full hand when it comes to his offensive tricks and maneuvers. But even if Pastrnak's goal-scoring numbers began to come back down to earth, the Bruins don't seem awfully concerned.

They're more than happy to take another five-assist night down the road.

“Everyone is gonna have their night,” Marchand said. “And if everyone plays their game, every game, and does what they do good — then they’re gonna be good players for this team. That’s what’s been going on here. We win by committee here every night, and that’s why we’re a good team right now. 

“That’s why we’re winning games, is because it doesn’t matter who scores them, we’re just as happy with the next guy as we are for ourself if we score and produce. That’s the mentality in this group and regardless of how many outside of our room talk about scoring, secondary scoring and whatever it is — we’re not worried about that in our room. We’re winning games and that’s all that matters.”