As the coronavirus pandemic rages on, the 2019-2020 NHL season remains on hold. With the remainder of the season in doubt, the Boston Bruins were in the midst of a dominant season. Their impressive run placed them on top of the Eastern Conference less than a month before the postseason.
While their successful season has been a team effort, a few players were having breakout years. Brandon Carlo, David Pastrnak, and Jeremy Lauzon have taken their games to new heights propelling this Bruins team.
Coming into the season, Pastrnak was a rising star in the NHL. During the 2019-2020 campaign, however, he reached another level as he set career-highs in every offensive category. Through 70 games, his 48 goals were tied for the league lead, and he was third in points with 95. For the first time in the former first-round pick’s career, he was able to surpass the 40-goal and 90-point marks.
David Pastrnak (@pastrnak96) gets his 47th goal of the season. pic.twitter.com/BzuEz2Br37
— NHL (@NHL) February 29, 2020
Although Pastrnak has become one of the NHL’s elite athletes, Brandon Carlo continued to improve on the blueline, too. Through 67 games, the former second-round pick has four goals and 15 assists. Carlo’s 19 points are a career-high and he has doubled his goal total from the two previous seasons combined.
While Carlo’s offense has been a welcoming sign, he has also improved defensively. In 67 games, Carlo has blocked 76 shots and landed 124 hits. While these are not his career-highs, they are not far off. Carlo also has a plus-minus of 19, which is new a career-high. Moreso than in years past, the former second-round pick is making game-changing plays that don’t necessarily show up on the stat sheet.
This is TEXTBOOK DEFENSE by Brandon Carlo and Patrice Bergeron to keep this puck out #NHLBruins pic.twitter.com/ccXtDCJelU
— Boston Bruins on CLNS (@BruinsCLNS) November 11, 2019
As Carlo has become one of the Bruins’ most valuable players, Jeremy Lauzon has also become an important part of the team’s blueline. Over the years, Lauzon has been one of the Bruins’ top prospects but got his first extended look over the past few months.
In 19 games, the former second-round pick landed 32 hits and blocked 23 shots. He also has a plus-minus rating of five and was averaging 15:25 of ice time per game. As the Bruins suffered injuries to players such as Connor Clifton, Lauzon stepped up at a critical time. On a crowded blueline, the Canadian native proved that he belonged in the NHL.
Jeremy Lauzon's first career NHL fight comes against Matthew Tkachuk pic.twitter.com/nxjPqtNZyI
— Brady Trettenero (@BradyTrett) February 22, 2020
Regardless of how the season ends, the Bruins will go into the 2020-2021 campaign with increased expectations for Pastrnak, Lauzon, and Carlo. Their breakout campaigns have proved that the future in Boston is bright.
