Boston Bruins: Charlie McAvoy is the real deal

In the 2017-2018 season, Boston Bruins rookie defenseman Charlie McAvoy proved that his performance last year wasn’t a fluke.

Charlie McAvoy is one hell of a player. At the age of 19, McAvoy played the first game of his young NHL career. He skated with Boston Bruins captain Zdeno Chara and to fans delight, played wonderfully. McAvoy ended up with 3 points as the Bruins were eliminated by the Ottawa Senators in 6 games. Even though it was an early exit the city was buzzing with McAvoy fever.

McAvoy was back with “Big Z” on the top defensive pairing and didn’t disappoint. This wasn’t the healthiest of seasons for McAvoy. He missed time on two separate occasions due to injury. His first stint on the injury list was due to a heart issue, and the second time was because of an MCL injury. McAvoy returned to the lineup and was his same self. He ended the season with 7 goals and 25 assists.

McAvoy is such a skilled player. He is a great 200′ player. In the Bruins zone he is a physical player who can clear the crease and deliver a momentum-shifting hit. In the opposing team’s zone, McAvoy can find the open man, rifle a shot from the point, and even put on a dangle show if needed.

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If you thought that his performance in the postseason last year was too good to be true, McAvoy proved that he was the real deal this season.

A beacon of hope in the postseason

The Boston Bruins had a rough go of it in the postseason. The Toronto Maple Leafs took the Bruins 7 games, and the Tampa Bay Lightning knocked the Bruins out in 5 games. The B’s just couldn’t get anything going against the Lightning, but one player performed rather well.

McAvoy secured most of his points in the second round. He was skating great and was a key component of the Bruins offense (especially after Torey Krug got injured). The Bruins got eliminated in game 5, but that was one of McAvoy’s best games of the postseason. He was whipping around the ice and seemed to be leading the Bruins offensive attack.

Another impressive part of McAvoy’s play in the postseason was his physicality. He was delivering some big hits that gave the Bruins some momentum.

McAvoy will look to continue to be one of the Bruins top defenseman. If he can put in a few more goals, and continue to be a strong defenseman he will be one of the best in the league.

Next: Expectations will be high next season

Charlie McAvoy was one of the best players on the Bruins roster this season and it appears he will continue to be for a long time.