3 X-Factors that will decide if the Bruins win their second straight Presidents’ Trophy.
At the start of the most crucial stretch of the 2023–24 NHL Season, the Bruins and Vancouver Canucks are tied for the lead in total points.
The Boston Bruins seem to be resilient enough to remain among the top teams in the league despite all the changes they encounter these days. They won the President’s Trophy the previous season, and no team in the league was even close to catching up to them.
With 71 points this season, Boston is tied for the league lead with the unexpected Vancouver Canucks as of Monday afternoon. The Bruins might therefore find themselves in the lead going into the trade deadline and beyond if they get off to a strong start in the first few games after the All-Star Break.
In addition to encouraging a few rentals as they try to complete the job they began last season, this status might also place them in the greatest possible position to win the Presidents’ Trophy for a second consecutive year. Which X-Factors will therefore determine if the Bruins finish with the most points in the NHL once more?
David Pastrnak must keep up his epic Hart Trophy run
David Pastrnak is arguably the NHL’s best player following the All-Star Break, continuing what was a fantastic year last season when he finished with 113 points and 61 goals. While Pastrnak may not reach the latter mark again this year, his stellar play is pacing the Bruins by 25 points, showing us just how valuable his performances have been for the Eastern Conference’s top team.
Pastrnak’s 35 takeaways and plus-16 rating show that he is more than just a point scorer with no defensive end to his game. Despite a roughly 60-40 ratio between offensive and defensive zone starts, his advanced numbers in the Corsi and Fenwick at 5-on-5 are the most striking; they remind us that his game isn’t only about offense. His Corsi and Fenwick sit at just 52.0 and 51.4, respectively.
Nevertheless, Pastrnak is most effective when the Bruins own the puck because he doesn’t mind taking chances. His 407 shots on goal from the previous season put him atop the league, and he’s back there again with 248. Even though Pastrnak had 46 turnovers so far this season and 109 in 2022–2023–his high-risk style is effective, and if he continues to do so, Boston will be a contender for the Presidents’ Trophy.
Leave a Reply