Bruins

Charlie McAvoy records multi-point night in first game back from suspension

It didn't take McAvoy long to get going in his return to the rink on Saturday.

By Colin McCarthy

November 11, 2023

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Charlie McAvoy wasted no time reinserting his offensive presence into the Bruins lineup on Saturday.

In his first game back from serving a four-game suspension, the alternate captain set up a goal just 36 seconds into the first period against the Montreal Canadiens.

The Bruins weren’t particularly set back by McAvoy’s absence; they went 3-1 during the stretch of his suspension. But, they sure don’t mind having his playmaking ability back on the blue line.

On his opening shift, McAvoy fired a shot from the point, seemingly searching for a deflection. Pavel Zacha got just enough of the puck to send it spiraling past Canadiens goalie Sam Montembeault.

That gave Boston a lead for a long stretch on Saturday before Montreal responded with a pair of goals in quick succession to gain the lead. But, McAvoy came through again to help the Bruins answer.

In the third period, McAvoy danced along the blue line before feeding the puck to David Pastrnak. Pastrnak sent the puck across the crease and hit Brad Marchand’s foot for the game-tying goal.

The pair of assists gave McAvoy his third multi-point game this season. He also played a key role in granting Boston a 5-on-3 power play, drawing two separate hooking calls on the same play. The Bruins weren’t able to capitalize on that opportunity, though.

One silver lining of McAvoy’s absence is the increased role it allowed Mason Lohrei to take on in the big leagues. On Saturday, present and future collided as Lohrei played a lot of defensive minutes alongside McAvoy. The alternate captain gave Lohrei a steady partner, and McAvoy was able to make up for any miscue Lohrei made on Saturday. Lohrei totaled over 15 minutes of ice time, while McAvoy logged 26:44, leading all Bruins defensemen.

McAvoy’s return was spoiled by the Canadiens, who beat Boston 3-2 in overtime on Saturday. Still, his immediate impact after four games off was a definite positive for the Bruins.