The Bruins have the NHL's best record and are still getting healthy in a big way.
Brad Marchand wasted no time making an impact in his surprise return to the Boston lineup last week. Now, it appears top defenseman Charlie McAvoy might be close to making his long-awaited return.
McAvoy skated in a black practice jersey Monday after Warrior Ice Arena in Brighton. That's a noticeable development in his return from offseason shoulder injury, as he has ditched the no-contact sweater, an indication he's close to having the go-ahead for game action. McAvoy skated alongside Jakub Zboril during Monday's session, according to reporters at practice.
It's still unclear just when McAvoy will draw back into the Bruins' lineup, but it's the latest sign he's on track for a November return.
All of this is welcomed news, of course, but Jim Montgomery's team has done a wonderful job keeping pace without some of its best players. Marchand, McAvoy and defenseman Matt Grzelcyk all underwent offseason surgery and were expected to miss significant time. Grzelcyk actually was ready to go from Opening Night, while Marchand beat his expected return timeframe by at least a month.
All the while, the Bruins have exceeded expectations and then some. Boston owns the NHL's top record at 8-1-0, and its plus-18 goal differential also leads the league. While the B's have benefited from a softer schedule to open the campaign, there certainly were questions about how they'd be able to adjust to a new system without a trio of their best players.
Those questions have been answered in a resounding fashion, and as the schedule starts to intensify, they have not only banked valuable points but are getting healthy at the right time, too.
