McAvoy doesn’t want to stand pat
Bruins rookie defenseman Charlie McAvoy is an NHL novice with a veteran understanding of what it takes to keep a hot streak going.
“When you try and maintain, that is kind of like a flat line,” said McAvoy following yesterday’s practice at Warrior Ice Arena in Brighton. “Things have been going good but we want to grow as well.
“We just don’t want to stay where we are at. The best team in January I’d say rarely wins. That would be my guess. I don’t see us trying to maintain; I see us trying to improve.”
The Bruins are in a pretty good place where they are right now. They own a 9-03 record in the last 12 games and, since a four-game losing skid in mid-November, are 18-3-3 following Saturday night’s 4-3 shootout victory against the Canadiens in Montreal, the rivals’ first meeting of the season and first of three in eight days.
Today, the Bruins (24-107) will attempt to “maintain” their winning ways when they host the Dallas Stars in a matinee event at the Garden.
B’s coach Bruce Cassidy gave his crew a condensed version of the Stars’ new system under veteran coach Ken Hitchcock during practice.
“We don’t see them very often and they have a new coaching staff, so there is going to be a lot of newness there,” Cassidy said. “Hitch has been around the league a long time so I understand what their identity is going to be.
“But at the end of the day, there is just not a lot of recent information to say, ‘Here is exactly what we have to do.’ ”
Khudobin sees Stars
Cassidy announced that backup goaltender Anton Khudobin will make his 16th appearance today. Khudobin has a 9-2-3 record with a 2.37 goals against average and a .925 save percentage.
Khudobin played portions of his career in the Western Conference with Minnesota and Anaheim and had some exposure to the Stars personnel.
“They are a highly skilled team and a high-scoring team and I’m expecting they will get their chances and we need to shut them down,” Khudobin said.
Khudobin expects the most trouble from the Stars’ top goalscorers, Jamie Benn (18 goals, 22 assists) and former Bruins first-round draft pick and Stanley Cup winner Tyler Seguin (21 goals, 19 assists).
“They are great players and I think they fit each other really well,” Khudobin said. “Plus Seguin, he is a righty and Benn he is a lefty, so they fit each other really well.”
McQuaid in waiting
The Stars have enough big bodies on the roster to warrant the return of rugged B’s defenseman Adam McQuaid, who has not played since suffering a fractured right fibula against Vancouver on Oct. 19. McQuaid returned to practice before Christmas but has been watching games since.
Cassidy understands McQuaid’s value but has been satisfied with his current combinations on defense. Zdeno Chara skates with McAvoy on the first unit, Torey Krug with Brandon Carlo on the second, and Matt Grzelcyk with Kevan Miller on the third.
“I think about it every game, and knowing the way a season works out there are going to be opportunities eventually,” Cassidy said. “Would it be beneficial to have him in there against the group? Yes. But that means I have to take somebody out of this lineup that doesn’t deserve to come out. That is what I wrestle with.”