Following a 2-1 overtime win against the Los Angeles Kings, there are many storylines with the Bruins. Swayman shutting the door again, McAvoy's career year continued (and his facial reconstruction continued), the power play struggles, etc. However, I would like to point out maybe an unsung storyline of this season, and honestly, the past few seasons. The play of Bruins forward, Pavel Zacha (61GP 19G-26A-45P).
Since being acquired in a trade for Erik Haula, Pavel Zacha has quietly been one of the most consistent Bruins. However, only his play has been consistent; his position in the lineup and the workload have been scattered all over the place. Whether it be 5-on-5, power play, or penalty kill, Pavel Zacha puts his head down and fits the role to the best of his ability, and most of the time, it is outstanding.
Marco Sturm was recently asked about the struggles offensively with David Pastrnak and Elias Lindholm. "I trust my guys… that's why I pretty much kept them together." Oftentimes, when a team is struggling offensively, the line combinations get jumbled, and the coaching staff looks for a spark.
Clearly, Elias Lindholm and Pastrnak are a duo that will stay together regardless of outcome, with a revolving door as the third forward until it works. Time and time again, Zacha is the victim of these moves. If you need him on the wing, he will oblige; if he is needed to play center and be a beast in the face-off circle, he can give you that as well. From first line to third, he is such a malleable player that any assignment given is not too much for him to handle.
Since coming back from the Olympic break, Zacha has 8 points, including a hat trick in the collapse versus the Penguins. I watch this guy night in and night out and am amazed at how effortless he makes things look. Whether it be the retrieval of pucks in the offensive zone or just the simple ability of catching a bad pass and not turning the puck over. It is an underrated skill that many fans may take for granted, but most of the time, small things that go unnoticed are in the DNA of good players and thus, good teams.
He won't be up for the Selke trophy, or even the Bruins' 7th player award, but rest assured, Pavel Zacha is one of the most undervalued and maybe underappreciated players this team has.
A match up against Celebrini and the Sharks
On Thursday night, the Bruins will face off against Hart trophy hopeful, Macklin Celebrini, and the San Jose Sharks. Both teams are fighting for wild-card spots in their respective conferences, so the intensity should be there again in TD Garden. This will be a bit of a different matchup for the Bruins; the Sharks are high-flying and FAST. Every team the B's have played since returning from the Olympics has played at a more deliberate pace, in my opinion.
It will be interesting to see how the black and gold keep up with the pace of this team. A 14-game home win streak is on the line, and another two crucial points. If Zacha is the one tasked with being paired with the Celebrini line, I am confident he is more than capable of shutting down one of the league's brightest young stars.