By: Chad Jones | Follow me on Twitter/X @ShutUpChadJones
After a frustrating and painful 2024-2025 campaign limited Charlie McAvoy to 50 games and 23 points, the number one Boston Bruins defenseman has been thriving this season. Under Bruins Head Coach Marco Sturm’s system, McAvoy has been taking advantage of the open ice and making winning plays.
“I think the honesty part of (Sturm’s coaching) is refreshing,” McAvoy said in a recent interview with Amalie Benjamin of NHL.com. “I need that. I’ve had coaches that kind of tell you what they think you want to hear, and it ends up being worse because I don’t know where I stand. Like, I need to tell you to tell me what I’m doing right or wrong so that I can improve on it.”
During Boston’s road victory Saturday against the Washington Capitals, McAvoy backed up these claims and put together one of his best games of the season. He scored the Bruins’ two lone goals in regulation on their way to a shootout win. It was the eighth and ninth time McAvoy has lit the lamp this season.
Through 54 games, the defenseman has now accumulated 49 points, the most he has put up in a single year since 2023. And he is firmly within striking distance of his career high in points, which was a 56-point campaign in 2022.
Despite his noticeable increase in productivity from a year ago, McAvoy has still been plagued by a myriad of injuries. He has been through multiple incidents in which he has lost teeth during a game. Whether it be from deflected pucks to the face or getting buried into the glass, McAvoy’s jaw has been through the wringer.
“I wish the hits would stop coming, honestly,” McAvoy admitted following the Bruins overtime win against the Los Angeles Kings last Tuesday, where he suffered another incident of losing teeth. “It’s tiring. My mouth, honestly, can’t even feel worse.”
But despite the pain and dental operations, McAvoy has seen a resurgence on the ice this season. He has been the Bruins’ best player since he returned from the Winter Olympics with a gold medal.
Since the break ended, McAvoy has been playing some of the best hockey of his career. He is being decisive with the puck, managing time and space in all three zones, and driving play for Boston’s backend.
Boston will need McAvoy to continue to be at his best over the last 16 games of the regular season. The Bruins are currently slotted in the first wild card in the Eastern Conference with 80 points and a record of 37-23-6. But the Detroit Red Wings and Columbus Blue Jackets remain right on Boston’s blades.
McAvoy must maintain this level of play across all aspects for the Bruins to return to the postseason. There is a lot on his plate, but so far, he has been thriving in his important role for Boston.
The Bruins will start this week on a road back-to-back, as Boston will be in New Jersey to take on the Devils Monday night before venturing to Montreal to battle the Canadiens Tuesday evening. If you want to see the Black and Gold in person at TD Garden or on the road before the season ends, consider using this official StubHub Ticket-affiliated link here for the most competitive concert and sporting event tickets in the North American region.
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