In this latest edition of Boston Bruins News & Rumors, David Pastrnak was named the club’s representative for the All-Star Game and followed that up with a strong performance against the Pittsburgh Penguins. In other news, Bruins head coach Jim Montgomery shared the team’s goaltending strategy for the 2024 NHL Stanley Cup Playoffs. Meanwhile, defenseman Derek Forbort has made a step in the right direction with his recovery. Let’s discuss all of this in today’s (Jan. 5) Bruins News & Rumors column.
Pastrnak Named Bruins’ All-Star Representative
For the fourth time in his outstanding NHL career, Pastrnak has been named to the All-Star Game. This announcement is not surprising in the slightest, as Pastrnak has not only been the Bruins’ top skater all season but also one of the best players in the entire league. In 37 games this season, he has 23 goals and 30 assists. His 53 points also tie him for third with Connor McDavid and Artemi Panarin in the NHL.
Pastrnak followed up this news with an impressive offensive performance against the Penguins on Jan. 4. The superstar winger put up a three-point night, scoring a goal and adding two assists. With this impressive game, he now has four goals and six assists over his last six contests.
While this Pastrnak All-Star selection is entirely warranted, he is not the only Bruin deserving to participate in the game. Even if he struggled against Pittsburgh, Jeremy Swayman has been one of the best goalies in the NHL this season, while Charlie McAvoy, Brad Marchand, and Linus Ullmark also have cases. It will be interesting to see if the fan votes lead to more Bruins players being added to the All-Star Game roster from here.
Montgomery Shares Goalie Plan for Playoffs
During a recent phone appearance on 98.5 The Sport Hub’s Toucher & Hardy Show, Montgomery was asked if he will keep the Bruins’ goaltender rotation during the postseason. In response, the Bruins’ bench boss had this to say on the matter: “Yes, I mean, there’s no reason. And I think, you know, you’ve got to learn from the past, too. Last year, I made a mistake by not doing that in the playoffs. And I think that we, as an organization, we evaluate everything.”
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Last season, Montgomery famously stopped the goaltender rotation in their playoff series against the Florida Panthers, electing to roll with Vezina Trophy winner Linus Ullmark for the club’s first six games. The star goaltender struggled mightily in response, posting a .896 save percentage (SV%). In the end, abandoning the goalie rotation was a costly mistake for Montgomery, and as he noted above, he learned from his crucial error.
There is a lot of hockey to be played before the playoffs, but it is understandable that Montgomery already knows that he wants to stick with the goalie rotation for it.
Forbort Returns to Practice
Forbort is making progress with his recovery from his lower-body injury, as the left-shot defenseman returned to practice on Thursday (Jan. 4) for the Bruins. Montgomery also shared an update on when Forbort could get back into game action for the Bruins. Here is exactly what he said when asked about the veteran defenseman’s current status: “Week to week, starting (Thursday) as he ramps up and progresses. I’ll have more news, but it’s a good sign that he’s finally on the ice.”
Forbort, 31, last played on Dec. 3 against the Columbus Blue Jackets before being placed on long-term injured reserve (LTIR). In 20 games this season, he has four assists and a plus-9 rating.