The Bruins team piles on David Pastrnak after his star performance. Photograph Courtesy of @nhlbruins via Instagram
NHL Mid-season Report: The Abomination in Boston
February 21, 2023
There is a storm ‘Bruin’ in Boston, ready to take over the NHL.
The Boston Bruins have a league-leading 85 points, 7 more points than the second place team. After 53 games, they have won 40, according to nhl.com.
This team is unstoppable, led by upcoming goalie Linus Ullmark, star winger David Pastrnak, and veteran winger Brad Marchand.
Ullmark has a GAA of 1.90 and a save percentage of .937, both of which are league-leading. Ullmark also has 2 shutouts and is the definite leader for the Vezina. Then, there’s The Pasta, David Pastrnak. Pastrnak has scored 39 goals, which is second in the league, and has a total of 74 points, which is top 5. Then, the alternative captain, Brad Marchand. The left winger has 16 goals and 30 assists, which is a steady amount for the 34-year-old.
In total, the Bruins have outscored their opponents by 81 points, and they are destined to win the President’s Cup.
But, none of the Boston skaters are making the biggest impact. For that player, we have to look north to Edmonton and the Oilers center, Connor McDavid. McDavid has 42 goals and 57 assists, for a total of 99 points, all of which are league-leading. He has an outstanding shot percentage of 17.8 percent. He has 48 Power Play Points and even has 3 shorthand points. He has 7 game-winning goals, including 1 overtime goal,. aAnd, he has a minimal 22 penalty minutes.
McDavid’s wrister is a menace to society, and his puck skills are nothing to quarrel with.
Another big storyline is Alex Ovechkin’s admission into the 800 goal club. The Great 8, who has 32 goals this year, has now scored 812 career goals. He is the third person to score 800 career goals, joining Gordie Howe and Wayne Gretzky. Ovechkin is also now the 2nd all-time goal scorer, passing Gordie Howe back in December.
Looking towards the playoffs, the Bruins will defeat the Carolina Hurricanes in 7 games to win the Eastern Conference, and the Vegas Golden Knights will defeat the Dallas Stars in the Western Conference to set up a first-time meeting between Boston and Vegas in the Stanley Cup Finals.