Ryan: How Bruins' beefed-up new power-play unit carved up Tampa Bay in Game 1

Oftentimes, the end result of a successful Bruins power play follows a familiar pattern.

David Pastrnak, entrenched in his office at the left circle, is served up a cross-ice feed from one of Torey Krug, Brad Marchand or Patrice Bergeron. Much like a Mariano Rivera cut fastball, the opposition knows what's coming, but that doesn't mean they can stop it — with Pastrnak's howitzer of a one-timer screaming past a sea of bodies and into the back of the net.

The play is Boston's preferred coup de grace on a man advantage that has been one of the top special-teams units in the NHL for years now. How the Bruins' power play gets to that point in which Pastrnak finds himself available for said looks is another question entirely.

The amount of high-end talent present on Boston's top power-play unit is imposing enough, but what truly makes this group so devastating is the number of ways it can dismantle a PK unit. Sure, Pastrnak is often waiting for a quality look to come his way, but opposing skaters have to constantly be on alert for backdoor plays, tipped shots and more against an amorphous power play that adjusts to whatever the PK gives them. 

You can often only do so much, as Boston's regular power-play crew (Bergeron at the "bumper", Pastrnak at the left elbow, Krug up at the blue line, Marchand at the right half-wall and Jake DeBrusk/Charlie Coyle at the netfront) cashed in on 32.4% of its opportunities during the 2019 Stanley Cup Playoffs.

But Bruce Cassidy, always looking to remain one step ahead of opposing defenses, has added a new wrinkle during this postseason push. With David Krejci playing his best hockey in years, Boston has overloaded that PP1 unit – pushing Marchand down at the netfront and moving a skilled facilitator in Krejci up along the blue line and along the right-side boards.

So far, the switch has paid off, with Boston cashing in on three power-play tallies in two games since Pastrnak returned from an "unfit to participate" designation.

Sunday's Game 1 victory over the Lightning might have been the best showing yet for this new crew, with Pastrnak burying his second goal of the playoffs following a dominant O-zone clinic against Tampa Bay.

Let's take a look at that successful power-play bid in the second period — and examine the number of ways this new-look man advantage put Tampa on the ropes before landing a knockout punch.