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The Boston Bruins MVP through Month 1 of the 2024-25 season is…

We’re (just over) one month into the 2024-25 NHL Season, and there’s only one player on the Boston Bruins that has stood out more than any other.

By Todd Matthews |
Nov 7, 2024; Boston, Massachusetts, USA; Boston Bruins center Pavel Zacha (18) is congratulated by defenseman Parker Wotherspoon (29) and right wing David Pastrnak (88) after scoring a goal during the second period against the Calgary Flames at TD Garden. Mandatory Credit: Bob DeChiara-Imagn Images
Nov 7, 2024; Boston, Massachusetts, USA; Boston Bruins center Pavel Zacha (18) is congratulated by defenseman Parker Wotherspoon (29) and right wing David Pastrnak (88) after scoring a goal during the second period against the Calgary Flames at TD Garden. Mandatory Credit: Bob DeChiara-Imagn Images / Bob DeChiara-Imagn Images

After (just over) the one-month mark of the 2024-25 NHL Season, the Boston Bruins have been one of the NHL’s most up-and-down hockey teams. You can argue that there hasn’t been a single outstanding player on this team, and you’d be right, considering virtually everyone on the team’s inability to rise up and play respectable hockey. 

But that doesn’t mean there haven’t been players of value on this Bruins squad, and two players in particular caught my eye. Either of them could qualify as the MVP after one month, but in the end, I rolled with a clear-cut winner in the David Pastrnak vs. Brad Marchand showdown. 

And I won’t lie: Brad Marchand has routinely been one of my favorite players out there, given his smaller size yet unrelenting playing style. While Marchand’s still been fun to watch despite reaching the twilight years of his career, David Pastrnak still has the edge here. 

Yeah, Pastrnak has committed more than his fair share of turnovers, and that’s something he’ll need to address. So far, he has 27 giveaways on the year, but I would also implore you to ask yourself whether anyone on this Bruins team doesn’t have something they need to improve right now. 

David Pastrnak should be the Boston Bruins MVP one month into the year

One reason I chose Pastrnak is that he has three goals on the man advantage, making him one of very few bright spots the Bruins have had at 5-on-4. He’s also been pulling his weight at even strength and has six goals total, accounting for over one-seventh of all the goals the Bruins have scored this season. 

While Brad Marchand has definitely helped and that trend will continue, David Pastrnak’s ability to step up when the team has needed him to in more ways than one decided this race. He’s once again been a major playmaker, and as I write this, Pastrnak is leading the league in shots on goal with 66 out of 125 total shots attempted. 

Imagine what will happen when Pastrnak’s shots start finding twine more. Yeah, there’s a chance that, especially if the Bruins rise up and become one of the Eastern Conference’s most relevant teams again, he’ll be well within the race for the Hart Trophy. It will happen, and we all just need to be patient. 

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