The Boston Bruins began the season struggling and in the end, it cost Jim Montgomery his job in November. He was replaced by interim coach Joe Sacco and through eight games, the Bruins are 6-2-0 under his leadership and playing better hockey.
When a team struggles as badly as Boston did, changes are eventually going to happen and the first change is usually the head coach. That’s generally how sports work, it starts with the coach, whether it’s right or wrong. To the credit of the players in the locker room, they took the blame for Montgomery losing his job, before he was quickly scooped up by the St. Louis Blues, but there is no denying that some players have been underachieving this season. One of those players was recently listed as underachieving by an NHL writer.
David Pastrnak has struggled in 2024-25 so far
After Wednesday night’s 4-2 win over the Chicago Blackhawks, the 2020 co-winner of the Maurice Rocket Richard Award with Alex Ovechkin of the Washington Capitals in the COVID-shortened season has nine goals and 17 assists. Those numbers have him on pace for 28 adjusted goals and 71 adjusted points in 2024-25. If that happens, the Bruins will likely be on the outside looking in when it comes to the Stanley Cup Playoffs in the spring.
When you watch Pastrnak play, he is someone who is playing with no confidence. On the power play, instead of looking to shoot, he’s making a pass. When he playing at even strength, he struggles to get shots off and on the net. He has been turning the puck over at times and he currently has a plus/minus of minus-4. Not good.
Playing 20 minutes a night, the Black and Gold need more from their star forward. In his last two games, he has set up three of the six Bruins goals, including the game-winner in overtime from Pavel Zacha in a 3-2 victory over the Detroit Red Wings Tuesday night at the TD Garden. It was a play that surprised people where Pastrnak didn’t shoot, but that’s where he is at right now.
Pastrnak is the type of player that can score in bunches and that’s what Bruins fans are waiting for. It feels like at some point, it’s going to come. Being a playmaker for his teammates has played a huge role in the last two wins, but now scoring himself would benefit the Bruins even more.