David Pastrnak keeps stacking up goals, and the latest one pushed him into some pretty elite Boston Bruins company.
His second-period strike against the Los Angeles Kings tied the game in Boston’s 4-1 win and gave the Bruins the kind of lift they needed in a tight contest. Pastrnak gathered a loose puck in transition and finished with a wrist shot past Kings goaltender Anton Forsberg. It was his fourth goal of the season, and it extended his point streak to five games.
The bigger number came with the goal itself. Pastrnak matched Phil Esposito for third-most even-strength goals in Bruins history, sitting at 289, according to the Associated Press. That puts him alongside one of the franchise’s most iconic scorers, and it comes in a category that highlights production at five-on-five rather than on the power play.
Boston still had work to do after Pastrnak’s equalizer. The Bruins trailed early, but Marat Khusnutdinov broke the tie in the third period with just over six minutes left. Elias Lindholm and JJ Peterka added empty-net goals, and Jeremy Swayman stopped 25 shots as Boston pulled away.
The win was Boston’s fifth in a row, and it completed a sweep of California’s three NHL teams.
Pastrnak finished the night with a goal and an assist, adding another productive game to a stretch that has kept him moving up the Bruins record book. The milestone tied him to Esposito, but it also fit the larger pattern: Pastrnak keeps delivering, and Boston keeps winning around him.
The Bruins now turn quickly to a trip to Dallas on Tuesday.
In Other News...
Bruins Just Turned A Zadorov Scratch Into A Bigger Problem
Nikita Zadorovs night on the bench against the Kings was already notable because it came after a double-minor penalty in the previous game against Anaheim, and Bruins coach Marco Sturm made it clear the decision was about discipline as much as anything else. For a team trying to keep its footing, a healthy scratch for a veteran defenseman is never just a routine lineup call, especially when it follows a lapse that drew attention in the first place.
The situation got more awkward when a social media exchange involving Zadorovs agent and a fan started feeding speculation about where things might be headed next. No formal trade talks have been reported, but the chatter added another layer to a story that began with one bad penalty and has now turned into something bigger for Boston to manage. [Read more 🡒]
Bruins Roster Crunch Is Turning One Forward Into Trade Bait
Matthew Poitras being cleared to play has only tightened the squeeze on Bostons forward group, and the Bruins responded by placing Mikey Eyssimont on waivers and sending him to Providence. It is the kind of roster move that says as much about logjams as it does about performance, because Eyssimont has been productive in the AHL and still found himself on the outside looking in when the Bruins had to make room.
The problem for Boston is that there is simply no easy path back into the lineup right now, even with Eyssimont doing enough in Providence to keep his name in the conversation. When a player is producing down below but has no obvious opening upstairs, that is often where trade chatter starts to build, and the Bruins appear to be there now with a depth piece who may be more valuable as an asset than as a spare forward on the roster. [Read more 🡒]
Bruins Suddenly Have A Matt Poitras Problem They Might Welcome
Matt Poitras has gone from a low-profile one-year, two-way signing to a player the Bruins have found ways to fit into the lineup almost immediately. After getting past a lower-body injury, the young forward has suited up for six games and chipped in five points, enough to draw steady praise from coach Marco Sturm for handling his assignments and taking advantage of the openings created by injuries around him.
The bigger wrinkle for Boston is what happens when the lineup gets healthier. Sean Kuraly was scratched while Poitras kept earning looks higher up the board, and Kuraly has since been preparing to return, which only tightens the competition for ice time. For a team trying to sort out its depth on the fly, Poitras has given the Bruins a useful problem, even if it is one they may have to solve sooner rather than later. [Read more 🡒]