David Pastrnak Reveals Key Issue Bruins Must Overcome After Latest Loss

The Boston Bruins could not follow the lead of the New England Patriots and Boston Celtics on Sunday afternoon. After both of those teams earned wins, the B’s came up short against the San Jose Sharks, and if you ask David Pastrnak, there’s one big issue that keeps popping up for this team.

With the final score settling in at 3-1, Boston spent pretty much the entire game playing from behind. A third-period goal from Morgan Geekie gave the Bruins a shot late in the game, but it ended up going to waste.

While the lack of offensive production alongside Geekie has been a popular talking point as of late, the B’s also had more penalty minutes than their opponent yet again in this one. Pastrnak believes that’s an issue that needs to be fixed, not just so the team can get off the penalty kill, but also because it’s disrupting their tempo during five-on-five play.

“It’s every game, we’re taking almost double as many penalties as we have power plays,” Pastrnak said after the game. “It’s tough. It’s too much relying on the penalty kill. The tempo is not there. We just gotta stay out of the box and be better.”

It’s not exactly bold to suggest that the Bruins need to avoid taking penalties, as that’s true of every team in the NHL. Penalties are bound to happen in hockey, but the frequency with which guys are being sent to the box needs to be curbed, or else the losses could begin piling up quickly.

Boston is still in a good spot with a 13-11-0 record, and a return to the East Coast should do them well after a stint out west. The Bruins will be back in action on Wednesday night when they finish off their road trip with a meeting against the New York Islanders.