Pavel Zacha showcases promise as potential top-six option down the middle for Bruins

The 2022-23 Bruins’ ongoing warpath against the rest of the NHL hasn’t been orchestrated by one singular player or overarching factor.

Sure, you could point to Linus Ullmark’s stout play between the pipes as the conduit that has allowed Boston to steadily accrue two points at a record-setting pace. But there are dozens of lineup cogs who have left their fingerprints all over Boston’s 23-4-1 surge — be it secondary-scoring stalwarts like Trent Frederic and Nick Foligno or key cogs who have taken major steps forward like Hampus Lindholm.

But when looking back at where exactly the foundations were first set for this current B’s roster to build themselves into a legitimate Cup contender, it’s impossible to overlook what the presence of David Krejci in the top-six unit has meant to this club. 

Beyond the luxury of anchoring his roster with some structure down the middle, Jim Montgomery has a pivot in Krejci whose skillset was built to not erode over time — with his patient poise with the puck and passing vision allowing him to pile onpoints in a hurry (21 points in 23 games this season).

With Krejci in tow, the Bruins once again have the luxury of unleashing a double-headed monster down the middle with him and Patrice Bergeron — with Charlie Coyle’s bruising play serving as the ideal complement further down the depth chart.

And make no mistake, the Bruins — as currently constituted — are not at their full strength for however long Krejci remains on the shelf with a lower-body injury. 

But in a season where it seems just about everything has fallen Boston’s way, the B’s have also stumbled into another ideal situation — with an on-ice Swiss Army Knife now looking the part as another top-six pivot when pressed into service.

The Bruins may not reach their full ceiling in games where Krejci isn’t doling out saucer feeds and augmenting the pace of play in the top-six unit. But Pavel Zacha has been far from a downgrade in his reps at 2C so far this season — offering both short-term relief in the dog days of the regular season, and a potential long-term solution in the years ahead.

"I did not know that,” Montgomery said of Zacha’s passing talent following Boston’s shootout victory over the Islanders on Tuesday. “But having spoken to a couple of coaches that have coached him, they told me that his hockey sense and his vision were really good. I think the thing that has helped him become an even better player this year is being around players like Marchand, Pastrnak, Krejci, Bergeron, Foligno.

“Like we have guys that work — and you see the work that goes in, day in, day out. It's almost by osmosis, you become a more competitive player. And that has helped him, because he's realized, like, this is what made these guys so good, and that's making him better.”

It’s hard to overlook Zacha’s production when serving as the next man up for Krejci, who has missed five games so far this season due to two separate ailments. In those five games, Zacha has gone out and posted stat lines of:

10/28 @ Columbus - 16:50 TOI, 1 assist
11/1 @ Pittsburgh - 16:55 TOI, 1 goal
11/3 @ New York - 15:46 TOI, 1 assist
12/11 @ Vegas - 17:58 TOI, 1 assist
12/13 vs. Islanders - 16:43 TOI, 2 assists

Not too shabby for a 25-year-old forward who was viewed as a low-risk project when Boston dealt for him back in July. 

And even though the Bruins’ lineup is stocked with plenty of gifted players and star talents, Zacha stands as the current leader on the depth chart with 13 assists at 5v5 play – three more helpers than second-place Taylor Hall, and a major gap over other top-six stalwarts like Brad Marchand (just three 5v5 assists in 20 games). 

All season long, Zacha’s stellar board work and refined details have often made him a key piece on many lines — with those chip plays and transition moves usually not leading to tangible points, but often clearing the way for many fruitful O-zone chances.

But alongside a pair of talented wingers like Jake DeBrusk and Hall, Zacha’s passing ability has emerged, with Boston generating five 5v5 goals during the 75:06 of ice time that Zacha and DeBrusk have logged together this year.

Even outside of his two new wingers, Zacha has benefited from the spacing and Grade-A looks that have come in droves thanks to Montgomery’s system, especially when it comes to defensemen jumping up into the play — as seen on Derek Forbort’s shorthanded strike on Tuesday night.

“It's been good,” Zacha said of his surge in production. “I think the guys are coming in with speed, getting open. Like even on that penalty-kill goal, it was our defenseman who joined the rush there and that helps you a lot — making 2-on-2s into 3-on-2s and odd-man rushes like that. So when they're there, they're open. I'm trying to find them and so far they've been there every time, so it's been good.”

For now, Zacha’s production is giving Montgomery and the B’s reassurance when it comes to not forcing Krejci back too early, especially with 50+ games still left on the docket this season.

But this impressive top-six audition is also a welcome sight for a Bruins team that is fully cognizant of the turmoil that sits on the horizon if both Bergeron and Krejci decide to hang up their skates this upcoming summer.

Yes, Zacha may not exactly have 60+ point potential if tasked with top-six minutes over the span of 82 games. And the Bruins will also need to deal with Zacha’s looming payday this summer after settling on a one-year contract months earlier.

But amid a bleak landscape of future pivots in Boston’s pipeline, Zacha stands as a flicking ember of hope as the B’s plan for the arduous task of rebuilding this current core. 

Of course, such tasks matter little at the moment to Zacha — whose career year is coming at the perfect time for a Bruins team focused only on the present in 2022-23. 

“It gives me confidence to play with the puck, to play with other players,” Zacha said of Montgomery’s positive comments following Tuesday’s win. “And I think we both have to earn each other's confidence, me and the coaches. So it's good to get it. We're getting there. And I'm getting the opportunity to show it, finally.”