David Pastrnak’s milestones underscore his role as a foundational face of the franchise

In 50 years, maybe David Pastrnak will tell his grandchildren that he deked forehand-backhand and beat Frederick Andersen five-hole to become the sixth Bruin to ever reach the 50-goal mark in a season. 

Perhaps he can say he pulled out the Nikita Kucherov no-move, letting the puck drift through Andersen’s legs for another highlight in the archive. 

But unlike eras gone by, the kids will be able to go on YouTube or its 2073 equivalent, and easily see the goal for themselves.

The finish wasn’t as smooth as most likely envisioned goal No. 50 coming for Pastrnak. No, it wasn’t a blistering one-timer from the left circle. It wasn’t a deke around a defender, either. 

Staring down Andersen, a goaltender he has terrorized in the past, Pastrnak, shielding the puck from Brent Burns’ backcheck, lost his handle of it as it skittered through the five-hole and in. 

But did he mean to do it?

“No, I’m not [Kucherov]. I don’t know how to do that on purpose,” Pastrnak joked with reporters in Raleigh after the Bruins’ 4-3 shootout victory over the Carolina Hurricanes on Sunday, their 57th of the season, which tied a franchise record. 

While it may not have been the prettiest finish, Pastrnak can brag about the read he made to give himself the breakaway opportunity. With Canes defenseman Jaccob Slavin jumping into the play and throwing a shot into the pile in front, four Carolina skaters were at or below the dots in Boston’s zone, while Burns was on an island at the far point. 

Pastrnak recognized the beckoning space up ice and flew the zone. Charlie McAvoy pounced on the loose puck and sprung the wide-open winger. The rest, as they say, is history. 

“I’m happy to be in the record books as a part of it, his first 50-goal season,” McAvoy said. “I’m so happy for him. He works so hard and is an unbelievable hockey player. Man, it’s amazing. He puts himself in some very good company. 

“He means so much to all of us on a personal level as a person and, you know, obviously as the hockey player he is for the Boston Bruins. I’m so happy for him. What an accomplishment it is. Very well-deserved.”

With the goal, Pastrnak joins the likes of Cam Neely, Ken Hodge, Phil Esposito, Rick Middleton and Johnny Bucyk as the only Bruins to notch 50 in a season. Neely was the last to do it, scoring 50 in just 49 games in 1993-94. 

Pastrnak came close, maybe even just a game away, from reaching the mark in the 2019-20 season. In the midst of a run of 10 goals in 13 games, he had goal against Tampa Bay in a March 7 loss before notching an assist in Philadelphia on March 10, 2020. Everyone knows what happened next. 

COVID cut the regular season short, leaving Pastrnak stuck at 48 and sharing the Rocket Richard Trophy with Alex Ovechkin. 

That year, Pastrnak made his way as one-third of the so-called Perfection line with Patrice Bergeron and Brad Marchand. This season, Jim Montgomery has kept them apart, and it has paid off not only for Pastrnak, who also set a career-high in points with the tally, but for the Bruins as a whole. 

To not only accomplish that feat, especially after a shortened 2020-21 campaign and the still abnormal 2021-22, but also reach 600 career points on the same play, made it all the more gratifying for No. 88. 

“I mean, it’s pretty special. It’s even better with the win,” Pastrnak said. “I came close a couple years ago, and, you know, you never know what can happen. I had plenty of games to get there, and all of a sudden, COVID happened. So, it’s definitely special. It’s been a long way. Obviously, big thanks to all my teammates and my family. It’s pretty cool like I said, and even better to share it with the guys.”

He required the third-fewest games (583) to reach 600 points in franchise history, coming in behind only Ray Bourque (569) and Bobby Orr (461). Pretty good company.

The next goal and point were more like it, though. Pastrnak ripped a one-timer through Andersen from the left circle on the power play for No. 51 on the year, which made for his 30th multi-point game of the season, joining Marchand and Joe Thornton as the only Bruins skaters to do so in the last 30 years. 

It may have been more in line with what many thought the 50th to look like, particularly after coming close with five shots in a scoreless outing against the Lightning, but Pastrnak will take them any way he can.

“I mean, this is how the game works,” he said. “You have plenty of opportunities like last night [against Tampa]  to get there, you know? A couple breakaways and good chances where I wouldn’t change much, but it wouldn’t go in last night. Today, I kind of lose the puck and it goes in. That’s the game, and I’ll obviously take it.”

The win was also Boston’s first win at PNC Arena since Game 4 of the 2019 Eastern Conference finals and its 27th road win of the year, a new single-season best. All of it came without three critical lineup pieces in Bergeron, Marchand, and Hampus Lindholm. 

Donning the ‘A’ on his sweater as he has frequently since the start of last season, Pastrnak assumed a bigger leadership role. On the ice, his line with David Krejci and Tyler Bertuzzi stuck to a style that the two Czechs have become accustomed to this season, trading chances with the opposition. It worked out for Boston, though, outsourcing the Hurricanes 1-0 as a line, thanks to Pastrnak’s 50th. 

They would have accounted for a second goal, with Bertuzzi finishing a backdoor pass off a passing sequence from Krejci and Pastrnak, but it was waved off after McAvoy and Jeremy Swayman’s extracurriculars with Jordan Martinook at the other end.

Individually, aside from the two goals, Pastrnak accounted for 10 scoring chances at 5-on-5 and 14 in all situations. His five high-danger chances were all at even strength, and he led all Bruins skaters in individual game score (1.69), according to HockeyStatCards.

With Pastrnak locked up for the next eight seasons for a grand total of $90 million, it was a potential glimpse into the role he will shoulder as a foundational face of the franchise. 

“What it means to me is that I’m just happy he’s on our team and we have him for another eight years,” Montgomery told reporters. “I mean, he’s just a tremendous talent. Can’t say enough about him, and I think with Bergeron and Marchand back at home. You could see his leadership skills really come out. I think he put the team on his back, and he played the right way everywhere.” 

Pastrnak understood the larger ask of him against Carolina, both on and off the ice without Bergeron and Marchand up front, but fortunately for him, who better to learn from over the years than Boston’s most dynamic duo.

“Obviously, you recognize that a little bit. I’ve been learning from those two guys, and [Krejci] and [Tuukka Rask] for many years now,” Pastrnak said. “I’ve been learning from them every day. You recognize when they are not here, that you have to take the step forward a little bit on the ice and off the ice. They lead on and off the ice, and that’s what you want to do when they’re not here.”

The history may not be done just yet, either. 

Pastrnak is on an 82-game pace for 57 goals. 60 is not completely out of the question, especially if more multi-goal outings lie ahead. He’d become the second player to do it for the B’s. Esposito did it four times, most recently in 1974-75. 

He’s also on an 82-game pace for 109 points. Sitting at 97 currently, it’s a matter of when, not if, Pastrnak eclipses 100. He would be the 11th player to reach the century mark for Boston. Marchand did it in 79 games in 2018-19. 

In the long term scope, Pastrnak is on his way to becoming the franchise’s all-time leader in goals. Bucyk leads the way with 545, and the 26-year-old Czech is currently eighth at 291. Barring disaster and assuming he averages between 30 and 40 goals during the length of his extension, which he should do comfortably, even with potential peaks and valleys, Pastrnak is well on his way to likely setting a new franchise best over the next eight years.