The Boston Bruins might be at their healthiest in a long time when the puck drops Thursday night. But they’ll still be without Charlie McAvoy.
The young defenseman, who recently returned from a concussion, won’t be in the lineup against the New Jersey Devils, B’s coach Bruce Cassidy announced after Thursday’s morning skate.
McAvoy’s lower body injury stems from blocking a shot in Boston’s final game before the league-wide Christmas break on Dec. 23 in Carolina. The 21-year-old still logged more than 20 minutes of ice time in the Bruins’ loss to the Hartford Whalers Hurricanes.
That game was a forgettable one for the young blueliner, who was on the ice for four Hurricanes goals. But that otherwise was a blip on the radar, as McAvoy has been very good since returning to the lineup on Dec. 6. In those 10 games, McAvoy has five assists, is a plus-3 and has been especially good in the last couple of weeks, registering four helpers in his last four games.
