Zacha filled the hole at center
The Bruins’ second season of 202223 is just beginning, so questions about 2023-24 are far off in the distance.
But this is clear: Given Patrice Bergeron’s age (37), the Bruins are happy to have Pavel Zacha locked up for the next four seasons at a decent rate ($4.75 million).
His strong all-around performance while filling in for Bergeron, the absent No. 1 center, was critical in the Bruins’ Game 1 win over Florida Monday.
Zacha earned a secondary assist on Jake DeBrusk’s pad-smacking goal late in the second period, part of a monstrous forecheck that made it 3-1. Zacha played 14:30, won 58.8 percent of his faceoffs (10 for 17), and carried his usual special-teams load.
“It’s how hard he competes, with skill, on pucks,” coach Jim Montgomery said. “He wins a lot of battles for us now. He kills a lot of plays. He wins battles, protects pucks, makes plays.”
In Game 1, the Bruins held a 17-9 edge in shot attempts with Zacha on the ice at five on five, according to Natural Stat Trick. Shots were 8-3. There weren’t a boatload of scoring chances either way, but the Bruins had a 60 percent edge (6-4) when No. 18 was on. All of those were the best percentages on the team.
Critically, he did that while handling a tough assignment: shut down all-world Panthers captain Aleksander Barkov and 42-goal scorer Carter Verhaeghe. Neither was noticeable. Barkov did not land a shot, while Verhaeghe put two pucks on net.
It was a five-man effort. Defensemen Hampus Lindholm and Brandon Carlo maintained tight gaps. Brad Marchand and DeBrusk were in the wingers’ faces. Zacha was winning draws and pucks and dishing to the right areas.
“It’s impressive,” said Taylor Hall, who saw Zacha’s potential during their years in New Jersey (2016-20). “Quite frankly, I saw him not really have a role there and not really have an identity as a player that was given to him. Once he got here, he was coached very well, given a lot of opportunity, and he’s made the best of it.
“He’s got so much skill and speed, he’s a big guy [6 feet 4 inches, 199 pounds]. He’s a super nice kid, maybe too nice at times; I mean, he could really throw himself into some guys on the ice.
“But it’s been great to see. He’s a great guy and he works hard. To see his growth from Jersey to now and from the start of the season to now has been awesome for our team.”
The only games Bergeron missed during the season came in late-stage back-to-backs. He did not play March 26 in Carolina, was left home for the April 1-2 games in Pittsburgh and St. Louis, and did not travel April 9 to Philadelphia. The Bruins won all of those games.
Including Monday’s victory, the Bruins are 5-0-0 when their do-it-all captain sits. They are averaging 3.6 goals per game, and giving up 2.6. Their power play has scored on 50 percent (5 for 10) of its opportunities, and the penalty kill (19 for 19) hasn’t cracked.
David Pastrnak has 9 goals and 11 points in those five games, landing 30 shots on goal. But Zacha has been the team’s second-leading scorer sans Bergeron, with a 1-6—7 line.
“I think it helps coming to a new team, knowing that I’m probably going to get the opportunity that I wanted,” said Zacha, who played in five postseason games in seven seasons with the Devils (0-0—0). “There’s so many things that I can get better at every day.
“Playoffs is here now. I am trying to prove myself that I’m a playoff player. It doesn’t stop with one game.”
Bergeron is helping out
Bergeron (illness/upper body) did not participate in the optional skate Tuesday. Montgomery listed him as “questionable” for Game 2. The coach did not seem concerned.
“He doesn’t get rattled by anything,” Montgomery said. “He promotes positivity and cool, calm, confidence that I think permeates through the group. We keep him involved.
“Like yesterday, we’re having him in the coaches’ room — ‘What are you seeing?’ — and he’s in the dressing room talking to the players about what he’s seeing. So that gives players confidence. He has a huge presence with us, even if he’s not on the ice.”
His hockey IQ, Montgomery added, is off the charts.
“I learn from him every game,” said the coach. “He’ll say something on the bench and I’m like, ‘Ah. I’m going to start talking about that now.’ ”
Some love for Lyon
It appears the Panthers will stick with Alex Lyon in goal. Coach Paul Maurice did not announce a starter for Game 2, after Lyon made 26 saves on 29 shots (.897) and muffed a long wrister from Marchand that made it 2-0. “I think he was fantastic last night,” Maurice said. “I loved his game.” . . . Against Florida’s chaotic, around-the-net offense, the Bruins allowed seven Grade A chances, according to their internal calculation. “Unfortunately we didn’t get many more,” Montgomery said. “That’s where we’ve got to improve our game.”