By: Chad Jones | Follow me on Twitter/X @ShutUpChadJones
Through 40 games this season, David Pastrnak has not been his usual dominant self for the Boston Bruins. The star winger has corralled 13 goals and 25 assists at nearly the campaign’s halfway point. While averaging just under a point per game is nothing to scoff at, Pastrnak is on pace for his lowest points per game mark since the 2017-2018 season.
Not to mention, David has been unable to consistently establish his elite finishing ability. Pastrnak has endured two streaks of seven games without scoring a goal. Last season, he went five consecutive games without recording a tally.
This is noteworthy, considering Pastrnak leads the NHL with over 160 shots on goal, which averages out to better than four shots a game. However, the forward’s shooting percentage sits at eight percent, which would be the lowest of his career.
Despite not being as potent a goal scorer this season, Pastrnak has not allowed that to hinder other parts of his offensive repertoire. He is on track to collect 50 helpers, which would be the third straight season he has accomplished that feat.
And despite skating with a myriad of line combinations, Pastrnak has put it upon himself to get the puck to his teammates in prime scoring areas. Especially skating with Pavel Zacha and Morgan Geekie, Pastrnak has been effective in retrieving loose pucks, winning battles along the wall, and making plays below the goal line.
Boston’s lone goal Thursday night against the New York Rangers involved Pastrnak delivering a pretty dish to Elias Lindholm from below the goal line. His determination to win a puck battle and produce a heady pass was also on full display in early December when Zacha buried two overtime goals in three games directly from Pastrnak passes.
While his shot has not been there for much of the season, Pastrnak has still found ways to impact Boston’s offense. He has elevated the play of both Geekie and Zacha by drawing attention from opposing defenses and getting the puck to his linemates in high-danger areas.
And when given the opportunity to skate with Lindholm and Brad Marchand, Pastrnak has also been productive with them. Although, it helps balance out Boston’s lines much better when Pastrnak is not with those two forwards.
As frustrating as it has been for Pastrnak to be not piling up goals at his usual rate, he has concentrated on not having that negatively linger and impact the rest of his game. Even terrific players have off years when it comes to finding the back of the net. Not to mention, it is fair to expect Pastrnak’s shooting percentage to increase closer to his career average, which is over 13%.
Furthermore, his willingness to compete for the puck and getting the defense to focus in on him frees up ice for other Bruins skaters. He still leads Boston in both points and assists. But regardless of his streaky shooting this year, Pastrnak is still driving Boston’s offense as their most gifted and creative playmaker.
Leave a Reply