David Pastrnak is struggling. He has one goal and one assist in the last four games. In the Bruins’ 4-1 loss to the Avalanche on Saturday, Boston’s third straight defeat, he did not land a single shot on goal and committed two turnovers that led to Nathan MacKinnon goals.
Bruins coach Marco Sturm decided to make an example of Pastrnak and his linemates, essentially benching them for the back half of the third period once Colorado went up 3-1. Pastrnak did not play the final 7:55 of the game. Elias Lindholm sat for the final 12:05. Pavel Zacha got one shift in the last 11 minutes.
After the game, Sturm voiced his displeasure.
“Our top guys were not the top guys again,” Sturm said. “If you look at Colorado and our team, well, that’s the difference.”
The point is well taken. While Pastrnak, Lindholm and Zacha combined for just one shot on goal, Colorado’s top line of MacKinnon, Martin Necas and Artturi Lehkonen combined for 16 shots and three goals. It was a similar story on Thursday, when Jack Eichel, Mitch Marner and Mark Stone – Vegas’ horses – all had multi-point games. Pastrnak at least scored on the power play in that one, but there was nothing doing at 5-on-5.
This is the Bruins’ reality: They are not going to beat elite teams like Vegas or Colorado if Pastrnak has an off night. Those teams have multiple offensive stars who can take over on any given night (and we haven’t even mentioned Cale Makar yet). The Bruins have one: Pastrnak.
Criticism of Pastrnak’s recent play is warranted. He needs to be better, plain and simple. Criticism of the roster general manager Don Sweeney has put together is also warranted. There are no other horses who can pick up the offensive slack when Pastrnak is off.
It wasn’t just the first line that was quiet. The second line was invisible. Morgan Geekie, Casey Mittelstadt and Mikey Eyssimont also combined for just one shot on goal. Neither Geekie nor Mittelstadt even had a shot attempt. The Bruins as a team got outshot 38-14 in this one.
The fact that Sturm is even putting Eyssimont, a 29-year-old whose career high in points is 25, in the top six is telling. Heck, Sturm even had him on the first line for a couple shifts in the second period. Eyssimont does lead the team in 5-on-5 points with three, so maybe it makes as much sense as anything – but that really says more about the rest of the team than it does Eyssimont.
The Bruins’ lone goal Saturday came from Johnny Beecher, who, to his credit, made the most of his opportunity after being a healthy scratch for the first five games. The fourth line of Beecher, Sean Kuraly and Mark Kastelic was Boston’s best line, as it has been too often recently.
“My grinders were the best players again,” Sturm told NESN after the game. “And if your grinders are the best players and not my best players, then you’re gonna be in trouble.”
No one questions whether the Bruins can have a good fourth line. Kuraly and Kastelic have done their jobs this season. Beecher, Marat Khusnutdinov and Jeffrey Viel have all played well with them. Eyssimont and Tanner Jeannot can be good fourth-liners, too.
But that’s too many grinders! Where are the middle-six forwards? Nowhere to be found at the moment. Mittelstadt has two points in six games. He has three shots on goal at 5-on-5, the fewest of any Bruins forward who has played at least five games.
Viktor Arvidsson, who got moved from the second line to the third Saturday, has one point in six games. He has the third-most shots on the team, but many of the low-danger variety. He has not been credited with a single high-danger chance at 5-on-5 this season, the only Boston forward that can be said about.
If there’s any sliver of hope when it comes to the Bruins’ problems up front, perhaps it is in the AHL, where the Providence Bruins’ offense is humming through four games. Georgii Merkulov leads the league in points with seven. Fabian Lysell, Matej Blumel and Alex Steeves are right behind him with six. Matt Poitras has five.
The question is: How much rope will Sweeney give his veteran-laden NHL roster before trying something different?