Boston Bruins: David Pastrnak and Jack Eichel on display in Buffalo
Two MVP candidates, David Pastrnak and Jack Eichel, meet when the Boston Bruins play the Buffalo Sabres.
Fresh off the holiday break, the Boston Bruins head to Buffalo to take on the Sabres. This is the first leg of a home-and-home with Buffalo, so it’s a great chance for Boston to widen its gap in the Atlantic Division.
Two of the game’s premier offensive talents, David Pastrnak and Jack Eichel, will be on display Friday night in Buffalo.
David Pastrnak leads Boston’s offense
The Bruins remain comfortably at the top of the division, and David Pastrnak is a big reason why. He’s in the middle of the best season of his young career.
Through 38 games, Pastrnak leads the NHL with 28 goals. He also has 26 assists to give him 54 total points.
Pastrnak is especially lethal on the power play, as he is number one in the league with 13 power play goals. In addition, Pastrnak scored six game-winning goals this year.
Currently, Pastrnak is on a five-game points streak that dates back to Boston’s win in Florida. Over those five games, Pastrnak has two goals and six assists. Three of those assists came in last Monday’s victory over the Capitals.
Based on his play and production this season, it’s no surprise the league named Pastrnak as the captain for the Atlantic Division at the 2020 NHL All-Star Game.
Jack Eichel is the man for the Sabres
When Pastrnak captains the Atlantic, expect Jack Eichel to be one of his teammates. Like Pastrnak, Eichel is in the midst of the best season of his career.
In 37 games, Eichel has 24 goals and 27 assists for 51 points. That’s 17 points more than anybody else on the Sabres.
Unlike Pastrnak, Eichel doesn’t score a ton on the power play. He does, however, have 18 even-strength goals, which leads the NHL.
What’s most impressive about Eichel’s season is his points streak that recently ended in Ottawa. Before then, Eichel registered a point in 18 straight games. In those games, he had 16 goals and 16 assists.
Eichel’s points streak helped Buffalo turn its season around. The Sabres earned a point in 12 of those 18 games, and at one point they jumped to second in the Atlantic behind Boston.
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If the Bruins want to beat the Sabres, they need to focus on Eichel. He’s by far their most important and impactful player, so if you stop him, you probably stop Buffalo.
We can say the same thing about Pastrnak. The Sabres must contain him to take any points out of these next two games.