David Pastrnak Reaches 900 Points As Bruins Face Rangers Amid Trade Drama

The Boston Bruins and New York Rangers faced off on January 26, 2026, at Madison Square Garden in a matchup brimming with storylines, milestones, and a dash of trade deadline drama. As the puck dropped at 7 p.m. EST, fans from both sides knew this wasn't just another regular season contest—it was the third and final meeting this year between these storied Original Six franchises, each having delivered a lopsided victory on home ice earlier in the campaign.

Coming into the game, the Bruins were riding high, boasting an impressive 30-20-2 record and having notched eight wins in their last ten outings. They were fresh off back-to-back 4-3 victories over the Vegas Golden Knights and Montreal Canadiens, with Morgan Geekie notching his 100th career goal and leading the team with 28 on the season—good enough to tie for fifth-best in the NHL. David Pastrnak, the Czech sensation, had 21 goals already and was inching closer to a personal milestone that would etch his name deeper into Bruins lore.

On the other side, the Rangers were wrestling with adversity. Entering the night, their record stood at 21-25-6, mired in a three-game losing streak and a dismal 2-7-1 mark since the calendar flipped to 2026. The team had gone just 8-13-4 since December, and the sense of urgency was palpable, especially as the organization publicly committed to a midseason "retool" rather than a full rebuild. General Manager Chris Drury, who secured a multiyear extension in April 2025, addressed fans directly in a January 16 letter, promising, "This will not be a rebuild. This will be a retool built around our core players and prospects. We will target players that bring tenacity, speed, skill and a winning pedigree with a focus obtaining young players, draft picks and cap space to allow us flexibility moving forward."

But it wasn’t just the standings fueling intrigue. The Rangers were without defenseman Carson Soucy, who was held out of the lineup for "roster management reasons" as trade rumors swirled. According to The Athletic’s Vince Z. Mercogliano, a deal sending Soucy to the crosstown New York Islanders was brewing, a rare transaction between the rivals and only the fourth such swap since 2010. Soucy, 31 and a pending unrestricted free agent, would be a rental for the Islanders, who have been searching for a left-shooting defenseman since Alexander Romanov’s shoulder surgery in November. The trade’s specifics—what the Rangers would get in return and whether any of Soucy’s $3.25 million salary would stay on the books—remained unresolved as the game began.

The Rangers’ roster uncertainty didn’t end there. Will Borgen, the 29-year-old defenseman, found himself in the spotlight as a player whose future with the team hung in the balance. With the franchise openly sorting players into "staying" and "leaving" categories, Borgen’s performance in these final games before the trade deadline could determine whether he remains a Ranger or moves on to bolster a contender’s blue line. Meanwhile, superstar Artemi Panarin, the team’s leading scorer every year since his blockbuster $81.5 million signing in 2019, was also whispered as a possible trade chip, though his full no-movement clause gave him ultimate say over his next destination.

For Boston, the lineup card offered its own suspense. Defenseman Nikita Zadorov was a game-time decision after an awkward fall and injury in the previous game against Montreal. Zadorov had briefly exited but returned for the third period, helping the Bruins mount their comeback. Head coach Marco Sturm, who has guided the team with a steady hand, emphasized the importance of focus and not dwelling on past results. "Even the game we won in Boston, it’s done," Sturm told reporters before the game. "It’s a tricky team. They’re still a very good hockey team. I know they’ve been on and off this season a little bit. But we can’t look at their past. We’ve got to have the right mindset today, because they are a good team and we have a job to do. We have a big back-to-back game coming up, so we don’t want to leave points behind."

As the game unfolded, the Bruins’ stars shone brightly. David Pastrnak reached a historic milestone, becoming just the sixth player in Boston franchise history to notch 900 career points. The 29-year-old winger, selected 25th overall in the 2014 NHL Draft, assisted on Elias Lindholm’s goals in both the first and second periods. He then set up Morgan Geekie’s tally at 8:52 of the second, which put the Bruins ahead 3-2 and cemented his place in the club’s elite 900-point fraternity—joining legends Ray Bourque, Johnny Bucyk, Patrice Bergeron, Phil Esposito, and Brad Marchand. Pastrnak entered the night with 21 goals and 46 assists in 48 games this season and, with 412 goals and 488 assists in 804 career games, his consistency and playmaking have been nothing short of remarkable.

The Rangers, meanwhile, showed flashes of resilience but struggled to keep pace with the surging Bruins. Their lineup, missing Soucy and with Borgen under the microscope, faced constant pressure from Boston’s relentless attack. The game marked the final chapter in this season’s rivalry, with each team having delivered a blowout in previous meetings—Boston’s 10-2 romp at TD Garden earlier in January and the Rangers’ 6-2 triumph back in November. Despite the recent lopsided loss to the Bruins, the Rangers had managed a win in the first meeting, making this rubber match a true test of mettle.

Fans tuning in had plenty of options, with national broadcasts on NESN, NHL Network, and MSG, and streaming available on DIRECTV, FuboTV, and Sling TV. The stakes were clear: for Boston, a chance to extend their winning streak to three and keep pace in the Eastern Conference playoff race; for New York, an opportunity to halt a skid and show their fans that the retooling plan could yield immediate dividends.

As the final horn approached, the Bruins’ depth and star power continued to tell the story. Geekie’s scoring touch, Pastrnak’s milestone, and solid goaltending kept the visitors in control, while the Rangers’ struggles highlighted the growing pains of a team caught between eras. The looming trade of Soucy, the uncertainty around Borgen, and the possibility of more big-name departures before the March 6 deadline left fans wondering what the next chapter would hold.

For now, the Bruins’ victory march and Pastrnak’s historic night will be remembered as the defining moments of this clash at Madison Square Garden. The Rangers, meanwhile, face tough questions and pivotal decisions as the NHL’s trade season heats up. With the action on the ice and the drama off it, this meeting between Boston and New York delivered all the intrigue and excitement hockey fans could hope for.