The Boston Bruins entered Friday tied for first place in the Atlantic Division, and the return of David Pastrnak is a huge reason why.
The superstar right wing recently missed five games with an injury. Since returning to the lineup against the St. Louis Blues on Tuesday, Pastrnak has completely dominated offensively with seven points and 10 shots in two games.
He picked up three assists in a 5-2 win over the Blues, and then he scored twice with two more assists in a 6-3 victory over the Jets in Winnipeg on Thursday night.
“I’m feeling good. I feel like with every shift I’m a little better,” Pastrnak told NESN postgame. “It’s not easy coming back from injury. Sometimes it can be more mental than the physical (aspect). It’s been good.
“I came into the (team) winning and the boys were playing unbelievable hockey before I came back, so I’m just trying to jump in and join. It’s always easy when the team is winning.”
His performance against the Jets was particularly impressive. Pastrnak got the Bruins on the board in the first period with a power-play goal.
It was the 403rd goal of his Bruins career (he scored an empty-net goal in the third period, too), moving him past Rick Middleton for sole possession of fifth place on the team’s all-time leaderboard.
Johnny Bucyk: 545 goals
Phil Esposito: 459
Patrice Bergeron: 427
Brad Marchand: 422
David Pastrnak: 404
Pastrnak has a great chance to reach No. 1 in a couple years, and he could get as high as No. 3 before the end of the season. What did Pastrnak think of hitting this impressive milestone?
“I’m honored,” Pastrnak told NESN postgame. “I’m very aware of where I play, and the organization and the amount of history the Boston Bruins organization has. I’m very honored and humble. Just trying my best and keep working harder. There’s only one thing missing for me, and that’s what I’ll be chasing.”
Pastrnak also showed off his elite playmaking skill. He’s one of the best goal scorers in the league, but his passing remains underrated. Pastrnak has tallied 63 assists in each of the last two seasons, and it wouldn’t be surprising to see him reach that level again in 2025-26.
He does a tremendous job setting up his teammates with Grade A scoring chances. His pass to Elias Lindholm to set up a goal that gave the B’s a 5-3 lead with 5:17 left in the third period was a good example.
Pastrnak’s four points Thursday gave him a team-leading 36 points (13 goals, 26 assists) in 27 games.
It could be tough for anyone to overtake Colorado Avalanche superstar Nathan MacKinnon in the Hart Trophy race. Not only is MacKinnon leading the league in scoring, the Avalanche have a league-best 22-2-7 record.
But if the Bruins make the playoffs and Pastrnak hits the 100-point mark for the fourth straight season, it’s possible that he could be a finalist for the award. Few players are more valuable to their team than Pastrnak.
The Bruins have overachieved to this point. A lot of experts picked them to miss the playoffs for a second consecutive year. And while there’s still a lot of hockey left to be played, the ability for this Bruins team to overcome adversity of all kinds has been impressive.
“The whole year we’ve been put in different situations and we’ve been able to win different kinds of games,” Pastrnak told NESN. “That gives the team confidence. Same thing with injuries. Some top players came out and the guys who stepped in played amazing hockey and helped the team win and be productive.
“That’s the identity — next man up and we stick together as one team.”