The Boston Bruins set NHL records last season. They failed to even make it past the first round in the Stanley Cup Playoffs, but it was still a highly successful campaign. That said, Boston entered the 2023-24 NHL season with many expecting them to take a step back. However, Pavel Zacha and the Bruins have absolutely thrived.
Zacha, in particular, has enjoyed a nice season. The soon-to-be 27-year-old has recorded his second straight 50+ point campaign. With seven games left, the former sixth-overall pick could potentially match his career-high point total with a bit of a late-season surge.
Zacha has proven his performance from last year was no fluke. And he’s done so while playing a vital role on the Bruins. The Czechia native has become Boston’s top-line center following the retirements of franchise icons Patrice Bergeron and David Krejci. It’s a chance that the former sixth-overall pick has waited for since entering the league with the New Jersey Devils.
Hard work paying off
Boston Bruins center Pavel Zacha (18) skates off of the ice after scoring a goal against the Pittsburgh Penguins during the third period at the TD Garden. Brian Fluharty-USA TODAY Sports
Pavel Zacha came to the Bruins in the summer of 2022. Boston acquired the young forward from the Devils in exchange for veteran forward Erik Haula. The Czechia native spent his first season in Boston playing mostly on the wing. However, when the team needed him to step into the center role, he was more than ready.
“That was something I was looking forward to coming to Boston, knowing that in the future I’ll be able to get a chance to play center and getting the great opportunities that I’m getting to play,” Zacha said, via NHL.com. “So, I’m enjoying this year and think I just have to keep working hard and getting better in those situations.”
Zacha has often found himself anchoring the team’s top line. His ice time has seen a bump, as a result. The Bruins forward averaged around 16 minutes a game last season. And his career high in New Jersey was a little more than 17 minutes. This year, though, he has averaged a little more than 18 minutes per game.
Boston’s belief in the Czechian center has paid off. Zacha’s 51 points on the year rank fourth among Bruins skaters. Furthermore, he has just 16 penalty minutes all season, showing impressive discipline. He also leads the Bruins in faceoff win percentage with a 54.8% mark.
Playing with the best
Pavel Zacha’s role as the top-line center has seen him paired with the Bruins best players. Captain Brad Marchand and star winger David Pastrnak have formed part of Boston’s core for years. Now, they are taking the lead, and Zacha is grateful to play with two of the better players in the NHL.
“They put ‘Pasta’ and ‘Marchy’ with me in different games just to see how it goes,” Zacha said, via NHL.com. “They’ve played together for a very long time, so for me it’s exciting to play with two of the best wingers in the League.”
Marchand and Pastrnak have played extremely well with Zacha down the middle. Marchand has scored 27 goals and 63 points for the Bruins. Meanwhile, Pastrnak has followed up last season’s incredible performance with 45 goals and 102 points to this point in 2023-24.
Pavel Zacha has stepped up as the Bruins have needed him to. And it’s given Boston a chance to claim the Atlantic Division title this year. However, the goal is to win the Stanley Cup. Let’s see how Zacha and the Bruins get on in the Stanley Cup Playoffs.
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