Boston Bruins fans know how much David Pastrnak means to the success of the group. He may not stand out on every shift, but he has transformed his game to be reliable in all three zones, and even on his quietest nights, he often finds a way to impact the game. Take Wednesday night as an example of why Elliotte Friedman's claim on the most recent 32 Thoughts podcast that he should be in the Hart Trophy discussion is spot on.
Pastrnak isn't in the easiest situation. He is currently leading a line of himself and two rookies, with Marat Khusnutdinov and Fraser Minten. Pastrnak scored the opening goal against the Buffalo Sabres on Wednesday thanks to a strong forecheck from the duo, but the line didn't have a ton of high-danger offensive chances outside of that play.
Some would look at that and say Pastrnak was quiet, but he found a way to make a play for Viktor Arvidsson's go-ahead 2-1 goal, and then made a beautiful pass to Pavel Zacha in overtime to get the Bruins a much-needed two points. A quiet night from Pastrnak resulted in a three-point performance in a 4-3 win that dramatically increased the Bruins' playoff chances.
The Bruins aren't supposed to be in this position this year. If Boston makes the playoffs with this roster in one of the tightest playoff races since the wild card system came into effect, how could Pastrnak not be in the Hart Trophy conversation, and Jeremy Swayman not be in the Vezina Trophy conversation? If Charlie McAvoy hadn't missed so much time, he might've at least found a way to get into the top-5 of the Norris Trophy voting with what is surrounding him on the blue line.
"Last year, he got hurt [in the voting] because they didn't make the playoffs, but he had a Hart Trophy-level season. And he's having another one this year. "Elliotte Friedman
"One of the greatest qualities a player can have is his ability to elevate the players around them. Going into this year, we wondered who would score goals for Boston outside of Pastrnak. He has had a number of different linemates over the season, whether it's Morgan Geekie, Minten, Khusnutdinov, benefitting and learning to play from a guy like Pastrnak. As we get deeper in the Hart Trophy conversation, he's making that a really great case. Not only an elite player, but how do you elevate the guys around you. "Kyle Bukauskas
Macklin Celebrini was the fan favorite to come in and steal the Hart Trophy by leading his team to an unlikely playoff spot. With the San Jose Sharks falling down the standings, it might be Pastrnak's turn to take that moniker.