The Bruins lost to the Sabres, 3-1, Thursday night at TD Garden. They didn’t have their A, B or C game, looking off right from the get-go. They got outshot 19-5 in the first period and eventually fell behind 2-0 in the second.
McAvoy injured, Poitras scratched as Bruins lose to Sabres
That wasn’t the biggest story, though. Not that it excuses anything, but off nights do happen. The bigger story was what happened to Charlie McAvoy early in the third period.
As McAvoy and Buffalo forward JJ Peterka chased down a loose puck, Peterka stopped short and threw a “reverse hit,” leading with an elbow to McAvoy’s face. McAvoy was slow to get up and appeared woozy as he left the ice. He went right down the tunnel to the Bruins’ locker room and did not return for the final 18 minutes of the game.
Peterka was not penalized on the play.
Boston coach Jim Montgomery didn’t have much of an update on McAvoy after the game, just saying that it was an upper-body injury and that he would have a better idea of the severity on Friday.
UPDATE: Montgomery said on Friday that McAvoy is "day-to-day" and that they're "hopeful" about his availability for Saturday's game. He also clarified that while it is an upper-body injury, it is not a head injury (i.e. no concussion).
With McAvoy out, the Bruins’ comeback bid got much tougher. McAvoy has been by far the team’s most offensive defenseman this season, so not having his ability to create from the back end obviously hurt.
Beginning shortly before McAvoy’s injury, the game actually went more than 10 minutes straight without a whistle. The Bruins had a few good looks during that time, but unfortunately for them, that stretch ended with a Victor Olofsson goal on a 2-on-1 that pushed the Sabres’ lead to 3-1.
“He’s our rock back there,” Brad Marchand said of McAvoy. “He does so much on the breakout, offensively, with his physical presence. So, you lose a guy like him, you can’t replace him.”
If McAvoy misses any time, the Bruins will have to try. They were already a man short on the blue line entering Thursday night, with Derek Forbort being placed on long-term injured reserve with a lower-body injury earlier in the day.
The Bruins recalled Mason Lohrei from AHL Providence to replace Forbort. Ian Mitchell would likely enter the lineup if McAvoy is out, with someone else potentially being called up from Providence to serve as the seventh defenseman.
It wouldn’t be a completely foreign situation for the Bruins. They had to play four games without McAvoy in early November while he was suspended, and actually went 3-1 with wins over three good teams in the Maple Leafs, Stars and Islanders. Grzelcyk was also out injured during that stretch, so they even have the experience playing without two regular D.
Still, it’s certainly not ideal. The Bruins will obviously be hoping for a positive update on Friday before they host the surprisingly red-hot Arizona Coyotes on Saturday afternoon.