The Boston Bruins (32-38-9) took a bulldozer to an already shaky season, deciding to enter rebuild mode for the first time in ages. They fired head coach Jim Montgomery in November and dealt away franchise great Brad Marchand and fixtures Charlie Coyle, Brandon Carlo and Trent Frederic ahead of the trade deadline. But they did not part ways with all of their core members.
David Pastrnak continues to represent the B’s through a difficult time, and in doing so, he is giving fans something to celebrate in what is otherwise a lost season. The 28-year-old and No. 25 overall pick in the 2014 NHL Draft entered elite Bruins company in Tuesday’s 7-2 win over the New Jersey Devils (41-30-7).
He scored the team’s first goal halfway through the opening period and later added two assists, reaching 100 points on the season. Pastrnak joins legends Bobby Orr and Phil Esposito as the only Boston players to hit that mark in three straight seasons, per ESPN.
David Pastrnak is flourishing despite Bruins’ woes
The B’s are missing the Stanley Cup Playoffs for the first time since the 2015-16 campaign, so, naturally, fan morale is extremely low right now. Pasta’s sensational achievement will at least remind people that this team has a strong cornerstone to build around when reconstructing this hockey product. He ranks fourth in the NHL in points and is top 10 in goals (41) and assists (59).
What makes the milestone-making night even sweeter is that it helped prevent the Devils from clinching a playoff berth. New Jersey will soon secure the bold “X” next to its name, but no one likes to wait for good news. David Pastrnak and the Bruins charged into the Prudential Center and posted the kind of effort that had been sorely missing for most of the last two months.
They will try to finish the season with dignity, as they wrap up play against the Chicago Blackhawks, Pittsburgh Penguins and Devils.
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