The Boston Bruins were in danger of having their four-game win streak snapped Wednesday night against the Chicago Blackhawks. And then Charlie McAvoy saved the day.
Boston tied things up at 1-1 in the second and the game needed overtime to decide the winner at United Center. Overtime, as you probably know, hasn’t been too kind for the B’s, but an unlikely hero extended the streak to five.
McAvoy had been scoreless for 57 games, dating to last regular and postseason. Jake DeBrusk perfectly placed the puck on McAvoy’s tape as he was crashing the net to give Boston the 2-1 win.
First of the year in style ?@CMcAvoy44 | #NHLBruins pic.twitter.com/jv4UNMfjUb
— Boston Bruins (@NHLBruins) February 6, 2020
So, what was going through this mind as he was coming up on the net?
“I just said I’m going to skate as hard as I can to the back post and see what happens,” McAvoy said, per NESN. “… I just said I’m going to skate really hard and see what happens.”
"I just said I'm going to skate as hard as I can to the back post and see what happens."
Bruins defensemen Charlie McAvoy on his game-winning goal over the Blackhawks. https://t.co/HHn3hZx7GO pic.twitter.com/RD1pddJf4z
— NESN (@NESN) February 6, 2020
He’s also just happy the monkey is off his back.
“What a pass. What a pass,” McAvoy told NBC Sports Network’s Brian Boucher after the game, as seen on their broadcast. “Thank God I buried that one.”
Was not having any goals coming into Wednesday’s tilt on his mind, though?
“A good amount,” he said. “You want to play with as much confidence as possible. Sometimes, from a production standpoint when you’re not producing it’s hard. But you just stay with it. We have such a special group of guys. Everybody’s always picking each other up. Just a real special group to play with. I could tell they were happy for me.”
Here are some other notes from Wednesday’s Bruins-Blackhawks game:
— Those two points were crucial for the B’s, as the win put the Bruins in sole possession of first place in the NHL for the first time this season. They had been in a tie with the Washington Capitals.
— The win didn’t come without some controversy.
Chicago appeared to go up 2-1 late in the third period on a Drake Caggiula goal. It immediately was waved off by the officials due to a Jonathan Toews hand pass. After the game, though, Toews revealed the ref told him the call was a “mistake.”
— Jaroslav Halak stopped 21 of 22 shots Wednesday, while Boston peppered Robin Lehner with 40 of its own.
But putting shots on net has been a strong point for the team this season. Check out this insane stat from Boston Sports Journal’s Conor Ryan:
The Bruins have now outshot their opponents, 104-62, over their last eight periods of play. https://t.co/eaQr185OCn
— Conor Ryan (@ConorRyan_93) February 6, 2020
— The Bruins now look to make it six straight wins when they welcome the Arizona Coyotes to town for a Saturday matinee. Puck drop from TD Garden is set for 3 p.m. ET.
