BOSTON –– Coming into the 2025-26 season, there were questions about where the Boston Bruins would get their offense from.
Pavel Zacha helped quiet the noise with his career year, consistently producing for his team while embracing his heightened responsibility as the second-line center.
Zacha registered highs in both points (65) and goals (30) through 78 regular-season games. His 65 points ranked third-best on the Bruins, and his 30 goals were second-most. He added three points (one goal, two assists) during the Bruins’ first-round series against the Buffalo Sabres.
Since the start of training camp, head coach Marco Sturm knew he would have Zacha at the pivot position. The instant chemistry with linemates Viktor Arvidsson and Casey Mittelstadt was a welcome factor, too. The trio had a team-high 42 goals while skating 5-on-5. On the power play, Zacha logged 11 goals (another career high), which was second most on the Bruins, only behind Morgan Geekie, who had 12.
Zacha scored his first NHL hat trick on Jan. 10 in the 10-2 win over the New York Rangers at TD Garden. It was one of 13 multi-point games for the 29-year-old forward, three of which were three-point showings.
It didn’t take long for Zacha to earn his second hat trick, this time in a 5-4 overtime loss to the Pittsburgh Penguins on March 8 at PPG Paints Arena. The hatty was part of a five-game point streak for Zacha (tying his season high) from Feb. 28 to March 8; he had eight points (four goals, four assists) through that stretch.
