3 X-Factors that will decide if the Bruins win their second straight Presidents’ Trophy
The Bruins are tied with the Vancouver Canucks for the overall points lead as the most important part of the 2023-24 NHL Season commences.
It seems like no matter how much change the Boston Bruins see these days, it doesn’t deter them from consistently being one of the best teams in the game. We saw it occur last season when they won the President’s Trophy with nobody else in the league remotely gaining ground on them.
This season, Boston has 71 points, and as of Monday afternoon, they are tied with the surprising Vancouver Canucks for the league lead. Therefore, if the Bruins get a good jump in the initial games following the All-Star Break, they could find themselves leading the pack heading into the trade deadline and beyond.
Such a status will entice a rental or two as they look to finish what they started last season, but it may also put them in their best position yet to snag their second straight Presidents’ Trophy. So which X-Factors will decide whether the Bruins will once again reach the NHL’s highest points total?
David Pastrnak must keep up his epic Hart Trophy run
David Pastrnak is arguably the NHL’s best player following the All-Star Break, continuing what was a fantastic year last season when he finished with 113 points and 61 goals. While Pastrnak may not reach the latter mark again this year, his stellar play is pacing the Bruins by 25 points, showing us just how valuable his performances have been for the Eastern Conference’s top team.
But Pastrnak isn’t just a points scorer who has no defense to his game, evidenced by his 35 takeaways and plus-16 rating. His advanced stats in the Corsi and Fenwick at 5-on-5 are the most eye-popping, as despite a nearly 60-40 ratio between offensive and defensive zone starts, his Corsi and Fenwick sit at just 52.0 and 51.4, respectively, once again showing us that his game isn’t all offense.
That said, Pastrnak is at his best when the Bruins have the puck, as he is not afraid to take chances. He led the league in shots on goal last season with 407 and is right up there again with 248. He also had 109 giveaways in 2022-23 and 46 so far this season, but despite those numbers, Pastrnak’s high-risk play works, and if he keeps it up, Boston will remain in the hunt for the Presidents’ Trophy.
Linus Ullmark must return to Vezina form when called upon
Last season’s Vezina winner has not enjoyed as great of a run through the All-Star Break, meaning the younger guy in the tandem, Jeremy Swayman, has carried the Bruins more often this season. When they won the Presidents’ Trophy last year, however, Swayman and Ullmark were at the top of their respective games, and the same thing must happen this year for the Bruins to shine.
One thing they can’t do is to roll exclusively with one over the other, as they tried that approach in the playoffs and it cost them big. Ullmark went 3-3 in those games if you remember, and a deviation from that won’t help the Bruins. Simply put, Ullmark must bring his A-Game when Boston starts playing again, and ideally, returns to something resembling Vezina Trophy form.
Swayman has shown us he will be fine, so the pressure is on Ullmark to hold up. The good news is that Ullmark has been nothing short of stellar since he arrived in Boston for the 2021-22 season, and therefore, it’s highly likely we will see him up his game now that it’s the most meaningful time of the year.
The Bruins will remain hot if they stay healthy
Health will be huge for this Boston Bruins team, and so far, their top players are avoiding long-term injury during a time of the year when the playoff races will heat up. We already talked about David Pastrnak, and he is the focal point. If Pastrnak stays healthy, he will continue to elevate those around him, even if Boston sees an injury or two affect the team.
In an ideal world, their top producers like Jeremy Swayman, Brad Marchand, Charlie McAvoy, and Charlie Coyle, to name a few, will be available for Boston’s remaining games. They are currently 7-1-2 in their last 10 contests, and each player mentioned above is a huge reason for this team remaining on an upward trajectory.
But in reality, injuries occur, and the Bruins will be no exception between now and when the regular season ends in mid-April. So when a top player misses time, someone must step up in the interim to keep the team going strong. This isn’t a situation where such a player would miss an extended period, but if they go down for a few days or even a week, Boston will be a serious contender for the Presidents’ Trophy once more.
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(Statistics provided by Hockey-Reference)