Five goals not enough for Pastrnak
Most NHL players would be happy with lighting the lamp five times over seven playoff games.
David Pastrnak isn’t like most NHL players.
And even though the Bruins star winger scored against goalies Alex Lyon and Sergei Bobrovsky during the first-round loss to the Panthers, he believes he fell well short of the lofty standards he set for himself during a 61-goal regular season.
Some of that sentiment was because of the physical toll of playoff hockey.
Pastrnak acknowledged during the team’s breakup day on Tuesday that he was dealt a shoulder injury during his first shift of Game 1.
“This sport you can’t be healthy every time,” Pastrnak said at Warrior Ice Arena. “But it’s definitely painful to not be able to give your 100 percent and play my game for the series, especially after the year I had and I’ve been healthy and I know what I can do when I’m healthy.”
Pastrnak will have plenty of chances to assuage the pain felt in the Bruins’ dressing room. After inking an eight-year deal in March, Pastrnak will be the focal point of the offense through at least 2030.
Of course, it remains to be seen just how lofty Boston’s Stanley Cup aspirations will be in the years ahead, especially if Patrice Bergeron and/or David Krejci hang up their skates.
But after having their recordsetting season dashed by a team 43 points below them in the standings, Pastrnak said that just punching one’s ticket to the postseason should offer enough motivation for future Bruins squads.
“For me, I’m always a believer — like you guys know that every time I show up here in September, my goal for a team is to make the playoffs because it doesn’t matter where you end up with the standings,” Pastrnak said. “It is the playoffs. You just have to get there. Anything can happen after that.” And I’ve always believed in it and I always will.
“And this series is a perfect example again of it . . . Definitely don’t get me wrong, it was an outstanding season. The group we had, the memories we’ve been through. I think we deserve better. But this is the life and sport of hockey. It’s going to hurt.”
Looking ahead
Bergeron and Krejci’s future plans stand as the most consequential decisions ahead of a potentially transformative offseason.
But general manager Don Sweeney and his staff have plenty of other free agent calls to assess, and with limited salary-cap room.
Along with Bergeron and Krejci, Boston has six more unrestricted free agents on its NHL roster in Tyler Bertuzzi, Dmitry Orlov, Garnet Hathaway, Nick Foligno, Connor Clifton, and Tomas Nosek.
Jeremy Swayman, Trent Frederic, and Jakub Lauko also are set for pay raises as restricted free agents.
But with more than $4 million in bonus overages from Bergeron and Krejci’s bargainbin deals set to land on next year’s books, the Bruins don’t have plenty of fiscal wiggle room.
The top priorities beyond Bergeron and Krejci are likely Bertuzzi and Orlov — two key cogs that the Bruins relinquished plenty of draft capital for at the trade deadline.
Bertuzzi thrived in his first foray into the playoffs. The scrappy winger scored five goals and posted 10 points in seven games against the Panthers, and sparked instant chemistry with Pastrnak.
However, that impressive (albeit small) sample size likely signals a significant deal for Bertuzzi this offseason. Boston might need to shed a contract or two in order to accommodate him.
“I haven’t really thought about it honestly too much,” Bertuzzi said of his offseason decision. “It’s kind of been a whirlwind here two days after. So I’ll talk with some family and we’ll go from there.”
Orlov solidified the Bruins’ defense corps but could also be looking to cash in at this stage of his career.
“It basically feels like it’s my last contract,” Orlov said. “I’m going to be 32. We’ll see.”
A player such as Swayman has significantly less leverage as an RFA, although his sterling play in a backup role likely signals a solid pay bump.
As for what the 24-year-old netminder is prioritizing in his next deal? ”I’d like to be playing hockey and ideally in a Bruins sweater,” he said.
Bergeron a finalist
In an annual tradition, Bergeron was named as a finalist for the Selke Trophy, awarded to the best defensive forward in the NHL.
This stands as the 12th consecutive season that Bergeron has been named a finalist, with the 37-year-old forward capturing it a record five times (2012, 2014, 2015, 2017, 2022).
During Bergeron’s 882:22 of five-on-five ice time this season, the Bruins outscored opponents, 46-18. He led the NHL with 1,043 faceoff wins and also led the league with a 61.1 faceoff win percentage (minimum
1,000 faceoffs).