Boston Bruins‘ young star defenceman Charlie McAvoy is injured did not play in Tuesday night’s contest. His upper-body injury kept him out of the game against the Philadelphia Flyers.
UPDATE: Charlie McAvoy (upper body) will not play in tonight's game. #NHLBruins
— Boston Bruins (@NHLBruins) April 6, 2021
Charlie McAvoy Injured, Did Not Play Tonight
McAvoy has been the Bruins’ best defenceman by a long shot and is in the conversation to win the Norris Trophy only halfway through the season. He’s played all 35 games for the Bruins so far, notching 22 points in the form of four goals and 18 assists. He’s averaging an impressive 24 minutes of ice time per game, by far the most of any skater. His Corsi is 58.7 percent, with a relative Corsi of 9.1. Only 23 years of age, McAvoy has become a mainstay in the Bruins’ defensive core. Over his four-year career with Boston, he’s played 219 games, scoring 23 goals and piling up 91 assists, combining for 114 points. His ice time per game has been steadily increasing, showing his progress as a defenceman.
Moving Forward for the Bruins
Having Charlie McAvoy injured and unavailable is just about the worst-case scenario for the Bruins. A fantastic shutdown player, McAvoy has just about carried the Bruins’ back end so far this season. While Matt Grzelcyk is also a good shutdown defenceman, the rest of the squad is much weaker. In an, extremely offence-focused East Division, having a shaky defence is the last thing a team needs. Especially since the Bruins are desperately hanging on to the fourth playoff spot, they need all the help they can get. While they beat the Flyers tonight, they still sit four points behind the Pittsburgh Penguins. Boston faces the Washington Capitals next, and they have no shortage of offensive talent. If McAvoy is not back by then, there will need to be an adjustment made to help the Bruins’ goaltenders survive the offensive rushes.
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