Depth means a lot when it comes to the playoffs. The top guys will be honed in on by the opposing team, as they will look to shut them down. If that happens, you want to see the depth shine through. It can go a long way in a playoff series. Although, you still want your best players to be your best players.
For the Boston Bruins, they’ve seen their best players be the best players this postseason. Brad Marchand single-handedly dominated the first four games of the first round series against the Toronto Maple Leafs, as he had eight points in the first four games. Furthermore, David Pastrnak turned things up a notch and got to be the hero to send the Bruins to the second round. However, there is one player they need more out of and it’s defenseman Charlie McAvoy.
Bruins Need More From McAvoy
They don’t call him The Stallion for nothing. McAvoy is a workhorse for the Bruins on the back end, as he plays top-pair minutes and is always locked up against the opposing team’s best players. During this postseason run, McAvoy is averaging 25:40 of time on ice and is counted on heavily. He has struggled as of late, and has been caught in tough situations being on the ice for pivotal goals against.
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In Game 5 against the Maple Leafs, McAvoy got caught puck watching, as Matthew Knies snuck in behind him and pounced on the loose puck. In addition, in Game 6 he attempted to block a William Nylander shot that found its way past Jeremy Swayman. It was a tough few bloopers from McAvoy and it has carried over into the second round.
The Bruins as a whole did not have a good Game 2 against the Florida Panthers. After a rusty Game 1, the Panthers returned to their dominant selves and put pressure on the Bruins’ defense. On the Brandon Montour goal, McAvoy backpedalled and knocked the Panthers player into Marchand and the puck was in the back of the net. In Game 2 specifically, he was not impactful and the Bruins need more out of him in Game 3.
Under the Surface for McAvoy
McAvoy started the playoffs strong but over the last five games things have gone in a different direction. As it currently stands, Mason Lohrei has been the team’s best defenseman, which is great for the rookie. However, the team needs its workhorse to up the horsepower in the engine and lead the charge.
Over the last five games, the opposition has managed to out-attempt the Bruins with McAvoy on the ice. Also, they are leading in shots on goal and he has not done the best job of suppressing the opposition. When on the ice at five-on-five, he has an expected goals percentage of 50.23%, showing he’s creating offense but also not holding his own defensively. In this span, he has logged the most minutes at five-on-five (106:06) and has the highest expected goals against (five). To make matters worse, he had a goal differential of 1-6, which is not ideal. On a positive note, he has held the edge in high-danger attempts (25-17), so he is limiting any damage that’s near or at the front of the goal crease.
The Panthers’ offense poses numerous threats up front and as the Bruins advance through this series, the team needs him to improve his play overall.
The Road Is Only Getting Tougher
There has been no report of an injury, but this late in the season players are grinding. Hockey players are the toughest warriors out there and play through anything. There is no need to panic, as the series is tied but the Bruins need more out of McAvoy since this series could go the distance.
Last round against the Maple Leafs, Hampus Lindholm was quiet early on. As we all know, he turned a corner and was a large reason for the Game 7 victory, as he recorded a multi-point game. McAvoy can take a page out of Lindholm’s playbook and turn a corner. The Bruins are going to need him if they want to advance to the Eastern Conference Final.