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Boston Bruins: Oddly good despite loss of David Pastrnak

By Erin Walsh

BOSTON - JANUARY 31: Boston Bruins' David Pastrnak, center, is congratulated by teammates Jake DeBrusk, left, and Torey Krug after his first period goal. The Boston Bruins host the Philadelphia Flyers in a regular season NHL hockey game at TD Garden in Boston on Jan. 31, 2019. (Photo by John Tlumacki/The Boston Globe via Getty Images)
BOSTON - JANUARY 31: Boston Bruins' David Pastrnak, center, is congratulated by teammates Jake DeBrusk, left, and Torey Krug after his first period goal. The Boston Bruins host the Philadelphia Flyers in a regular season NHL hockey game at TD Garden in Boston on Jan. 31, 2019. (Photo by John Tlumacki/The Boston Globe via Getty Images) /
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The Boston Bruins have been without David Pastrnak since February 11 when he suffered a thumb injury leaving a sponsorship event.

Before the injury, David Pastrnak led the team with 66 points (31 goals, 35 assists). While he was in the lineup, the Boston Bruins secondary was struggling to score.

Since Pastrnak’s demise, the B’s secondary scoring has ramped up and has contributed to many of the goals scored. Since losing the talented winger, the Boston Bruins are 6-0-1. To put it simply, they are an absolute wagon right now.

When David Pastrnak returns to the lineup, the Boston Bruins are going to go on a tear. The 22-year-old can only make this team better.

Pastrnak is literally Boston’s leading goal scorer and yet without him, they’re scoring more goals than they did with him in the lineup. The Boston Bruins got their game back, now it’s time to see if they can keep it going when #88 returns for them.

When Pastrnak returns and the lines get shuffled, it is critical for Jake DeBrusk to remain on David Krejci‘s left wing. DeBrusk is far better on the left side than he is on the right.

I don’t see Jake DeBrusk ever shifting from his original position again given the fact he has torn up the NHL since returning to the left side.

It will also be critical for Joakim Nordstrom and David Backes to remain out of the lineup as much as possible. Nordstrom and Backes only bring down the players around them- it’s pretty unfortunate.

All in all though, it seeming more and more likely that the Boston Bruins have a chance to win the Stanley Cup this year.

They’ve shown heart, grit, teamwork and pure skill – it’s whats powered them through this current point streak and more impressively they’ve managed it without a reasonably core piece.

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