The Boston Bruins’ 2023-24 season should go down as a success. After losing a plethora of talent in the offseason, the Bruins not only made it back into the playoffs but were also one of the top clubs in the league. A significant reason for this was David Pastrnak‘s play.
Pastrnak, 28, was once again Boston’s best offensive player by a country mile, leading the team with 47 goals, 63 assists (career high), and 110 points. While he did not match his 61 goals in 2022-23, he was a playmaking machine, as evidenced by his new career-high in assists.
Due to Pastrnak’s explosive offensive season, he joined elite company. He became just the fifth player in Bruins history to have consecutive 100-point seasons. The only other Bruins to accomplish this feat were Bobby Orr (six seasons), Phil Esposito (five seasons), Adam Oates (two seasons), and Barry Pederson (two seasons).
Perhaps what makes this accomplishment for Pastrnak so impressive is that he is the first Bruin to have consecutive 100-point seasons during the salary cap era. He also no longer had the chance to play with David Krejci and Patrice Bergeron in 2023-24, as both retired the previous offseason.
Nevertheless, it was indeed a special year for Pastrnak. When noting that he is right in his prime, he stands a good shot of hitting 100 points again in 2024-25 if he stays healthy. Let’s see what happens on that front next campaign.
