$19,000,000 Bruins center makes his feelings known about playing alongside David Pastrnak

By Nestor Quixtan

Modified Nov 07, 2024 22:21 GMT

Boston Bruins forward Pavel Zacha opened up about his feelings regarding his placement on the same line with fellow countrymate David Pastrnak.

Zacha, who is in the second year of a four-year $19 million deal, is part of a new-look top line featuring Pastrnak and recently signed Tyler Johnson. With the Bruins looking to shake things up following a 4-0 blanking at the hands of the Toronto Maple Leafs, coach Jim Montgomery is looking to spur the offense by getting creative with his lines.

For Zacha, it’s a unique opportunity to play one of the league’s best players and a wily veteran. Here’s what Zacha told reporters following Thursday’s practice about playing with “Pasta.”

"I like playing with him. We have some chemistry from playing together in past years. Playing back at center is going to be exciting for me. ... It's exciting for me to play back with Pasta and [Tyler Johnson]."

The Bruins hope that chemistry translates into more offense, as the club has lacked goal-scoring recently.

Zacha added the following about his role on the top line:

“It’s going to be kind of my job being more around up front and being kind of an anchor for the shots.”

Indeed, Zacha hopes to generate looks, especially for Pastrnak, who has one of the deadliest shots in the league.

When asked about the mental issues related to struggling offensively, Zacha said:

“It’s always something you think about after a game. Then, the next day comes and you have to refocus on going on with the next day with a clear head.”

Zacha’s clear head will be crucial as the B’s take on the Calgary Flames at the TD Garden on Thursday night. The Bruins will be looking to get back into the thick of the Atlantic Division playoff race after falling slightly behind the Maple Leafs and Tampa Bay Lightning.

Bruins hoping top line can end offensive drought

Entering Thursday night’s action, the Bruins rank 27th in the league with 2.43 goals per game. Moreover, their power play sits 29th with an anemic 13.3%. Those numbers underscore Boston's recent struggles to find the back of the net.

Nevertheless, Pavel Zacha remains optimistic that the club can rebound by working hard.

“We know it’s going to come, one way or another," Zacha said. "There’s always ups and downs in the season. So, I just have to focus on grinding and creating chances.”

With Zacha creating chances up front, his fellow linemates can take advantage of scoring opportunities. As a natural goal-scorer, Pastrnak greatly benefits from lining up alongside a natural playmaker. Meanwhile, Tyler Johnson’s solid all-around play adds a two-way forward who can score and balance out the defensive side of the equation.

The Bruins expect to see results on Thursday night, hopefully breaking out offensively against a Calgary team that has played better than expected this season.