Boston Bruins’ Early Struggles: Pastrnak’s Penalties and Lindholm’s Adjustment

The Boston Bruins are encountering a challenging start to their 2024-25 season, with penalties and lapses in play taking a toll. While their roster holds significant talent, particularly with stars like David Pastrnak and the newly acquired Elias Lindholm, the team has yet to find a cohesive rhythm. Pastrnak’s penalty troubles are proving costly, limiting his ice time and impact while disrupting the team’s penalty-killing efficiency. With seven minor penalties in just eight games, his 0.86 minors-per-game rate far surpasses last season’s 0.20 average, hinting at an uncharacteristic struggle to stay disciplined.

Penalty Troubles Impact Bruins’ Defense and Special Teams

One of the central issues lies in the Bruins' penalty kill, which has historically been a reliable unit. In their recent matchup against the Dallas Stars, the Bruins’ penalty killers struggled, giving up two power-play goals with Pastrnak in the penalty box. On the first occasion, Dallas exploited the Bruins’ failed clearing attempts, leading to a quick strike from Jason Robertson that Boston’s goalie Jeremy Swayman had no chance of stopping. Later, Mason Marchment’s pass across the ice found a wide-open Tyler Seguin, who capitalized on the breakdown in Boston’s penalty-kill structure. These moments highlight how even a small lapse in execution can have outsized consequences, especially when penalties keep key players off the ice.

Coach Jim Montgomery has openly addressed the team’s need for an attitude shift, emphasizing that the Bruins are too focused on immediate results rather than process. According to Montgomery, this focus on outcomes is leading to careless mistakes, as players are prone to turnovers and unnecessary penalties when frustrated. Montgomery believes this attitude is taking a toll on their penalty-killing, particularly in the challenging second period, where line changes become difficult, leading to fatigued players staying on the ice too long and making errors.

Lindholm and Pastrnak: Finding Cohesion on the Top Line

On the offensive side, while Pastrnak is the primary scorer for the Bruins, he’s struggling to generate consistent five-on-five offense, which is troubling given his role as the team’s top goal-scorer and his significant salary of $11.25 million per year. In his 37:43 minutes of power-play time this season, Pastrnak has netted only two goals, both during four-on-four play. Paired with Brad Marchand and Elias Lindholm on the Bruins’ first line, he has yet to find the consistent success expected of this trio. Lindholm, whose two-way play and offensive instincts were assets in Calgary, has yet to fully mesh within Boston’s top unit. The line’s lack of cohesion is contributing to the team’s struggles to maintain pressure during even-strength play.

Lindholm, in particular, holds a unique position as a stabilizing presence who can work effectively in both ends. His chemistry with Marchand and Pastrnak will be critical for the Bruins to establish a balanced attack. If Lindholm and Pastrnak can improve their synergy and reduce turnovers, the Bruins have the potential to enhance their five-on-five scoring output, which has been lackluster.

Ultimately, for Boston to break free from their rocky start, the team needs to regain its focus and play to its strengths. Pastrnak will need to find a way to stay out of the box and contribute more effectively at five-on-five, while Lindholm’s presence as a versatile forward must be utilized fully. With the season still young, the Bruins have time to adjust, but their top players must quickly settle into their roles if they hope to achieve consistency and compete in the Eastern Conference.