Boston Bruins: What’s going on with David Pastrnak?
By Luke Ryan
The Boston Bruins were pushed forward in the early part of this season by the goals of David Pastrnak. Lately, they haven’t been there.
Right now, we’re not quite in panic mode. It’s only four games since David Pastrnak last netted a goal for the Boston Bruins and fact is, his line mates Brad Marchand and Patrice Bergeron are still scoring. It’s surely only a matter of time.
If the Montreal Canadiens manage to prevent him from grabbing a goal though, he will have matched his previous longest goal-scoring drought this season.
Looking at his statistics over the past four games, it’s not as if David Pastrnak was without chances. In just four games, he’s put fifteen shots on goal. It’s just unfortunate that none have gone in.
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When you break it down to high-danger scoring chances, those that he’s got the best chance of netting, 5 of those 15 shots are judged that way. One third of all the shots he has had on net were high-danger, meaning he’s riding a run of bad luck or good goaltending against; maybe a bit of both!
In terms of breaking out of his current drought, we see it coming sooner rather than later. The Boston Bruins have given him 19:25 in total power-play time across those past four goalless encounters and will likely continue to gift him big minutes, as has been the case all year.’
Great players don’t need to be challenged too much to break out of patterns of bad form. What’s more is that he’s still keeping up his points production with 3 assists in his last two games and still has 12 points in his last nine.
Goals are harder to grab than assists, but it’s only a matter of time before the likes of Marchand, Bergeron or Torey Krug repay the favor.
Across the two encounters between the Boston Bruins and Montreal Canadiens already this season, David Pastrnak has four goals including a hat-trick back in early November. He clearly enjoys playing our next opponent and that means surely he breaks-out.
Three or four games without scoring a goal have become relatively standard across the Czech winger’s young Boston Bruins career. He’s actually seldom gone more without a goal, so maybe there’s consistency even in his slumps!
Should we be concerned by this?
Not at all. David Pastrnak will be scoring goals for the Boston Bruins once more in no time at all. Having lost the lead in the Maurice Richard Trophy race, you’d have to think he has a fire in his belly and targets on Alex Ovechkin and Auston Matthews‘ backs.
Next. Loss to the Red Wings is totally excusable. dark
Mark my words; David Pastrnak will get at least one goal this Wednesday night at TD Garden when the Boston Bruins take on the Montreal Canadiens.
Statistics courtesy of Natural Stat Trick.