Boston Bruins superstar David Pastrnak is not dominating in his usual way. He has turned into more of a playmaker this year rather than a sniper. However, he is still dominating the league. And on Monday night, the Boston star reached a major career milestone against the Seattle Kraken.
Pastrnak opened the scoring for his team against Seattle. That goal was the 700th point in his career. Furthermore, he added to his league-leading total for game-opening goals, per Puck Watching. Pastrnak now has 10 game-opening goals for the 2023-24 NHL season.
The Bruins star wasn’t done with that goal, however. He went on to score again in the second period against the Kraken. With these two goals, Pastrnak now has 38 goals and 84 points on the year. The 27-year-old is currently on pace to surpass the 113 points he recorded last season.
David Pastrnak’s major change leading to Bruins success
The Kraken can attest to the incredible goal-scoring prowess Pastrnak possesses. Fans saw it on display in a major way in 2022-23 when the Czechian forward scored 61 times. This year, though, the Bruins star is still scoring goals. However, he has unlocked another facet of his game which makes him even more dangerous.
“I think he looks to carry the puck a lot more through the neutral zone,” Bruins coach Jim Montgomery said a few weeks ago, via NHL.com. “He looks to distribute more, understanding that he’s going to be checked tightly … He’s more of a distributor now.”
This added element to his game began to some extent last season. Pastrnak’s 61 goals set a new career high for the 27-year-old. However, he also set a new career-high with 52 assists. And yet, the Czechian star is on pace to set a new career high in assists with 62.
David Pastrnak is having an incredible season. His play to this point of the year speaks to that. And with his improved playmaking ability, the Bruins star has reached a major personal milestone. It’ll certainly be interesting how Pastrnak closes out the 2023-24 NHL campaign.
More must-reads: