Bruins’ David Pastrnak Displaying Otherworldly Value Amid Strange Season

BOSTON — The Bruins aren’t where many expected them to be entering the upcoming tournament break, and there are several reasons for that.

Hampus Lindholm has been the focus, but nagging injuries throughout the lineup have obviously taken a toll. The B’s elected to make a coaching change fairly early in the season, which didn’t help what had already been a large adjustment period for the roster after bringing aboard a decent amount of newcomers. Jeremy Swayman has a bigger role, with a heavier workload leading to a few more duds than we’re typically used to seeing out of him.

David Pastrnak, on the other hand, has been utterly fantastic.

Pastrnak didn’t get off to the hottest start, much like the rest of his teammates, but has turned it all the way around to enter a stretch in which he’s playing some of the best hockey of his career. The Bruins have leaned on him throughout a 7-4-1 stretch in which he’s registered at least one point in each game.

Boston isn’t just leaning on him to score, either. Pastrnak has improved in just about every area you could imagine, with one particular aspect of his game being the most impressive — despite the whole scoring thing, anyway.

Bruins interim head coach Joe Sacco loves how much stronger his superstar is.

“I don’t know if everyone’s capable of that,” Sacco said before a matchup with the Vegas Golden Knights on Saturday. “… I don’t think some people can exceed (a certain) number (of points), but other players have the ability — they have the inner drive and their ceiling is higher to reach it… David developed that one-timer, and he could shoot the puck his first year or two, but not like he does now. He’s developed that part of the game, and obviously, there’s the instinctive part to his game offensively.

“You can’t teach guys to see the ice the way he does… I feel that with David, his strength has allowed him to take it to another level on top of working on parts of his game offensively.”

Pastrnak is now a legitimate contender for the Hart Trophy, which would have sounded insane just a few months ago.

The Bruins just need to back him up with a few wins.

Pastrnak will receive a much-deserved break following Saturday’s game at TD Garden. Czechia is not competing in the 4 Nations Face-Off, so the veteran sniper will be able to get some rest as he prepares to lead a run toward the postseason starting on Feb. 22.