Bruins: Pastrnak and Marchand Ranked in Top 10 for NHL wings
By Scott Roche
Boston Bruins first line wings David Pastrnak and Brad Marchand were both ranked by the NHL Network as Top 10 wings in the league.
The two wings on the Boston Bruins first line centered by veteran Patrice Bergeron were ranked in the Top 10 on a list released by the NHL Network as the top wings in the league. Right-wing David Pastrnak was ranked second and left-wing Brad Marchand was ranked sixth.
Pastrnak was ranked behind Artemi Panarin of the New York Rangers, but ahead of veterans Nikita Kucherov of the Tampa Bay Lightning and Alex Ovechkin of the Washington Capitals. Pastrnak and Ovechkin shared the Maurice Rocket Richard Award this past season after both players finished tied with a league-leading 48 goals in the shortened season.
Patrick Kane of the Chicago Blackhawks was fifth on the list, ahead of Marchand. It’s nice to see Marchand get recognized for his play over the last few years that has seen him produce impressive offensive numbers.
Pastrnak finished fourth this season in MVP voting after racking up 47 assists with his 48 goals, both of which were career-highs. Twenty of his goals came on the power play, which he also had 18 assists on the league’s second-ranked unit.
The 25th pick of the first round of the 2014 Entry Draft, Pastrnak has increased his goal totals over the last four years as well as increasing his power-play goals over the same span.
Marchand scored 28 goals this season and finished with 59 assists (23 on the power play). He was on track to break his career-high in assists for a season before the 2019-20 season was cut short with 12 games remaining. He set his career-high in 2018-19 with 64 helpers.
At 32 years old, Marchand, who was selected in the third round of the 2006 Entry Draft at No. 71, is not the most liked player in the league, but as he has shown over the last couple of years, he is becoming one of the most consistent point producers in the NHL.
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Ironically, Pastrnak and Marchand both had offseason surgeries in September that will require a lengthy rehab. Marchand is out until mid-January after sports hernia surgery and Pastrnak is out until mid-February after hip surgery. Despite that, Bruins fans have to be thrilled to have two of the top six wings in the league on their first line when healthy.