Charlie McAvoy set the tone — and doled out plenty of punishment — in Bruins’ momentum-shifting Game 3 win
"He's taking those steps to be one of the best defensemen in the league."
The Bruins were not lacking in confidence heading into Friday’s Game 3 meeting with the Panthers.
The optics, of course, said otherwise.
Already dealt a black eye following a 6-3 drubbing on home ice in Game 2, the Bruins were entering Florida’s own barn without their 1-2 punch down the middle in Patrice Bergeron and David Krejci.
With the first 120 minutes of postseason reps against the Panthers marred by uncharacteristic turnovers and struggles against Florida’s hefty forecheck, the Bruins looked to be on the ropes in the midst of their 1-1 series deadlock.
It took Charlie McAvoy all of five seconds to shatter that narrative on Friday.
Before many were settled into their seats at FLA Live Arena, McAvoy punched back against the Panthers — dropping Eetu Luostarinen along the boards on the first shift of the evening.
It was a preview of what awaited Florida whenever Boston’s top defenseman hopped over the boards.
“I thought what set the tone was Charlie McAvoy laying a big hit in the first shift,” Taylor Hall said following Boston’s 4-2 victory. “That was kind of a telltale sign of the night and how hard we were going to play.”
McAvoy’s stat line in the offensive zone may not jump off the page.
He didn’t record a point in Boston’s victory, nor did he orchestrate promising scoring chances off of stretch passes like Dmitry Orlov and Matt Grzelcyk. He landed zero shots on goal against Alex Lyon.
But in the postseason, McAvoy’s propensity to deliver bone-crunching hits holds significant weight, especially in a best-of-seven series where gains in momentum are about as linear as a Tarantino script.
During McAvoy’s team-leading 25:21 of ice time on Friday, the 25-year-old blueline doled out eight hits.
It matched his career-high for most hits delivered in a single playoff game. The last time he recorded eight checks in playoff action? Just four days earlier in Game 1 against Florida (eight hits in 21:49 of ice time).
McAvoy serving as an on-ice wrecking ball under the bright lights of the postseason comes as little surprise. Throughout Boston’s last few Cup runs, the Boston University product has stamped himself in multiple league-ending highlight reels by popping an opposing player in open ice.
“He’s showing that he’s taking those steps to be one of the best defensemen in the league,” Brad Marchand said of McAvoy on Saturday. “ I think that’s the one thing that separates him from other skilled defensemen is that he plays a very physical game and he can be a predator out there and one of those guys that you need to know where he is.
“He’s extremely hard to play against. I was even saying last night to him after the game. I don’t think guys realize how difficult he is to play against and how strong he is to battle. The way he puts guys on his back and breaks puck. So it’s fun to watch.”
A sustained push for the Stanley Cup is often a war of attrition, with the Bruins already taking plenty of licks against a Panthers team with heft both upfront and along the blue line.
But few players in the NHL can deliver punishment with the ferocity of a player like McAvoy, especially in critical moments of a postseason bout.
Add in his minutes-munching workload, O-zone poise, and knack for snuffing out scoring chances down low, and there’s a reason why McAvoy stands as one of the top defensemen in the NHL.
He may not have the skating ability of a Cale Makar, nor can he stuff the stat sheet quite like an Erik Karlsson.
But with his team in need of a physical retort, McAvoy delivered a series-changing haymaker at just the right time.
“The Charlies out there are just absolute animals,” Linus Ullmark said on Friday. “It’s great to have them. Because they play the right way. Guys will follow when you have guys doing the right things and playing the simple way. It’s playoff hockey. There’s going to be some big hits both ways. I’m lucky I’m not a forward on their side when Charlie’s coming down.”
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