Talking Points: Pastrnak Power Helps Bring Home Another B’s Win

Here are the Talking Points from the Boston Bruins 4-2 win over the San Jose Sharks on Saturday night at the SAP Center.

GOLD STAR: When the Boston Bruins needed plays in the second or third period in a tight game against a San Jose team they should absolutely beat, it was David Pastrnak that stepped up once again for the Black and Gold. Pastrnak scored the go ahead PP goal in the second period and then finished off a great Perfection Line play in the third period that iced the game for Boston. Pastrnak finished with two goals, seven shots on net and 10 shot attempts overall in 20:56 of ice time and now has 60 goals in his last 82 games while on pace for 60 goals this season for Boston. Honestly, it’s such a weapon when the Boston Bruins have players that can do things like this with extra time and space on the power play.

David Pastrnak continues to terrorize opponents. He now has 28 goals this season. pic.twitter.com/PorHVSNBdd

— Jamie Gatlin (@JamieGatlin17) January 8, 2023

BLACK EYE: San Jose defenseman Scott Harrington finished with a minus-2 night and zero shots on net in 14:03 of ice time. That’s a poor, low event kind of game for a defenseman that didn’t play much and forced the Sharks to log Erik Karlsson for almost 30 minutes of ice time in the loss.

TURNING POINT: For the Boston Bruins, it was a late second period power play in a 2-2 game where David Pastrnak buried one on the man advantage to give the Black and Gold a go-ahead score in a game they ended up winning. In all the Boston Bruins outshot the Sharks 10-9 during the period and eventually found a way to push one through in the kind of moments that have become almost automatic for the B’s to pile up the wins these days.

HONORABLE MENTION: It gives the Boston Bruins all kinds of energy and depth when they can get offensive contributions up and down the lineup, so an early first period goal from Craig Smith was a big deal for the Black and Gold. Smith built it up to a two-goal lead in the first for the Bruins when he rifled a puck from the high slot through James Reimer for his second goal of the season in 25 games for Boston. It wasn’t just the nice lamp-lighter for Smith, though, as he finished with an active six shot attempts in 9:33 of ice time along with a blocked shot and a takeaway. It remains to be seen if Smith is going to author any kind of a hot streak this season, but every little bit helps him build back up his confidence and perhaps carve out a decent role for this Bruins team.

BY THE NUMBERS: 1013 – the number of career points for Patrice Bergeron after notching the assist on a Brad Marchand first period goal that gives him sole possession of third place (just ahead of Phil Esposito) on the all-time Boston Bruins scoring list. With two assists in the win, Bergeron now has 1,014 career points.

QUOTE TO NOTE: “It’s hard to put into words…this team just finds a way.” –Charlie McAvoy, to NESN on a Boston Bruins team that’s now 31-4-4 on the season.