McAvoy gets run
Bruins blue-liner led team in ice time vs. Penguins
Bruins blue-liner led team in ice time against Penguins
Charlie McAvoy is a defenseman for all situations.
That was the case in the Bruins’ thrilling 3-2 overtime victory over the Pittsburgh Penguins on Tuesday night at the TD Garden. The Bruins and Penguins will do it again Thursday night in the second of eight scheduled meetings this season.
The 6-foot-1, 208-pound fifth-year pro out of Boston University logged a teamhigh 27:34 of ice time over 32 shifts. McAvoy spent 3:44 on the power play, 2:54 on the penalty kill and 20:56 at even strength.
“It’s a lot of situational hockey but at the end of the day you are going out there and playing hockey nonetheless,” said McAvoy after practice Wednesday at Warrior Ice Arena in Brighton.
“I try and just go out, regardless of the situation, and try to do what allows me to have success and trying to think the game and use my feet and let my hockey instincts take over.
“Situationally we have been doing really well with the PK, PP and five-on-five
and overtime. Overtime has been very good to us this year.”
McAvoy spent part of his even-strength ice time battling the Penguins’ potent first line of center Sidney Crosby and wingers Bryan Rust and Jake Guentzel, none of whom registered a point in the game.
McAvoy also started with the first power-play unit in place of Matt Grzelcyk, who was off the grid with a lower body injury. When the game went to overtime, McAvoy skated the first three-on-three shift with center Patrice Bergeron and left wing Brad Marchand. It was defenseman Torey Krug, who decamped for St. Louis in the offseason, who performed that function last season.
“He can play in every situation,” said Bruins coach
Bruce Cassidy. “That’s what made him such a high draft pick and a valuable player for us and he came into our lineup at a young age.
“He can be a puck-mover and defends well against bigger bodies and against fast bodies. He can pitch in on the power play and part of the penalty kill. Overtime, three-on-three, he covers a lot of ice and fouron-four can cover the ice necessary. You know what, he’s a hockey player and he’s a smart hockey player.”
McAvoy, 23, has assumed the leadership position at the back end with the defection of team captain Zdeno Chara to the Washington Capitals. The Bruins face the Capitals for the first time on Saturday night at Capital One Arena.
“It’s going to be weird, really weird seeing him on the other side of the ice,” said McAvoy. “I don’t know if that is going to be something that I’m really going to be able to get over, seeing him in a Capitals jersey.”
McAvoy has been a mentor to his partner Jeremy Lauzon and the club’s other young rookie defensemen, Jakub Zboril. McAvoy is no stranger to extended stays on the ice, but he has seamlessly settled into his bigger role with the team.
“They are both playing great hockey right now,” said McAvoy. “They both take a lot of pride in defending which is awesome and we’ve been having team success defensively.”
Injuries, updates
Jake DeBrusk’s presence on the first line with Marchand and Bergeron was short-lived against the Penguins. DeBrusk skated five shifts and lasted 3:30 before exiting the sheet with a lower body injury.
DeBrusk has been ruled out of the rematch with the Penguins and is listed dayto-day for the Capitals. DeBrusk was holding down the spot for David Pastrnak (hip surgery), who could be back for the Capitals’ game.
Pastrnak and Washington’s Alex Ovechkin tied for the league lead in goals scored last season with 48. Ovechkin has been under a COVID-19 quarantine but could be back for the Bruins’ game.
Grzelcyk has made improvements but his status remains day-to-day. Cassidy said Jaroslav Halak will start in goal and he will save Tuukka Rask for the Capitals. Rask suffered an apparent mild hip injury in the third period against the Penguins and did not practice.
Big bad Brad
At 5-foot-9, Marchand is short in stature but has grown into an NHL giant on special teams. Marchand scored his second shorthanded goal of the season against the Penguins, giving Boston a 1- 0 lead at 7:41 of the first period.
Marchand improved his club record to 28 shorthanded goals, the most among active NHL players. Bergeron is tied with LA Kings center Jeff Carter for eighth place with 18 shorties. Marchand also had the first assist on Nick Ritchie’s power-play goal that made it 2- 0 at 7:58 of the middle frame.
“He’s blossomed into a power-play guy we can rely on to play net front, to play on the half wall and help out on entries,” said Cassidy. “Obviously he’s a puck recovery guy and that’s how he got on the power play in the first place.
“He’s always a threat to score and I think teams know that.”