Acciari’s block much appreciated
BRUINS NOTEBOOK
BUFFALO — Noel Acciari’s name did not appear on the score sheet for last night’s 3-0 Bruins victory against the Buffalo Sabres. But the forward certainly made one of the game’s big plays when he blocked a shot by Jack Eichel with two minutes left and the B’s protecting a 1-0 lead.
“That’s Joel,” coach Bruce Cassidy said. “I’ve seen it a million times. I saw one break his jaw, and it didn’t faze him at all, did it? It’s just something he brings to the table. The appreciation factor that teammates have for plays like that — (winger Tim) Schaller is willing to do it, too, on most nights — you need to have those type of guys in the room. They’re good soldiers. It’s very much appreciated, the hits he takes and the hits he gives, the shot blocks. All those little thing that make up a team with character.”
Along the same line, Cassidy credited Kevan Miller for his early fight with Zach Bogosian — after the defenseman’s big, clean hit on Jacob Josefson. Miller pummeled Bogosian and helped set the tone of the night for the B’s.
“That matters,” Cassidy said. “It gives you juice. We were having a tough time early on. I’m not going to say we were in the mud, but we were searching for our legs and they were playing a smart game. Kevan gives you a little energy.”
McQuaid’s close
Adam McQuaid traveled with the Bruins but did not return to the lineup. The defenseman has been sidelined since breaking his right leg Oct. 19 in the sixth game of the season and is just about ready to play.
“He’s not going in,” Cassidy said. “I assume he’d be eligible to go in (tomorrow at the Garden against the Winnipeg Jets), if necessary. We want to get the right amount of practice time to get him ready. We don’t want to force a guy in.”
The NHL’s holiday roster freeze began at 11:59 p.m. last night and ends at 12:01 a.m. on Dec. 28, but the B’s did not have to create room for McQuaid. Because he’ll be coming off the long-term injured list, the team can actually exceed the 23-player roster limit for McQuaid’s return.
Krejci out again
Center David Krejci missed his second game with an unknown injury. If the issue turns out to be a back ailment, there has been speculation that has plagued him throughout the season and was the cause of his missing a dozen games earlier.
“He continues to be dayto-day,” Cassidy said. “We hope (today) he’s better. I don’t know if we’re going to skate (today), so we’ll see where he’s at more probably (tomorrow). For me, Krech is an automatic: He goes in when he’s ready. He makes us a better team.” ...
David Pastrnak had his career-best 12-game points streak come to an end, and fellow winger Brad Marchand’s nine-game run ended.
McAvoy packs punch
After his first hockey fight Monday, and his first Gordie Howe hat trick, rookie defenseman Charlie McAvoy said his teammates were very happy for him.
“They liked it,” McAvoy said with a laugh. “They said it would have been cooler if he hit (Patrice Bergeron) or Marchand or someone, and I jumped in and grabbed him. But the way it happened was the way it happened. It’s not something I look forward to or want to do every night. But if it presents itself, I’ll just try to protect myself and see if I can grab some momentum.
“I had never been in a fight before. I was just trying to hold my own and see what happened. It kind of happened so fast. Once you get to the (penalty) box, it’s like, ‘I don’t even remember (what happened) — if I hit him, or I got hit, or what.’ It happens really quick.”
McAvoy, who turns 20 years old tomorrow, said he knew his foe, 19-year-old Columbus rookie forward Pierre-Luc Dubois, from the world junior tourney when the Americans played the Canadians and from being in the same draft class.
“Usually we go at it a little it when we play,” McAvoy said. “We know each other from going through the draft experience.
“By no means are we enemies or anything like that.”