Bruins’ ‘Dominant’ Charlie McAvoy Has Chance To Be Even Better

BOSTON — Charlie McAvoy has been really good throughout almost the entirety of his Bruins tenure.

In 2023-24, he’s been dominant.

That’s the way Bruins head coach Jim Montgomery sees it, anyway, as the 25-year-old drew some poignant praise after scoring a goal in Boston’s victory over the Detroit Red Wings on Saturday night at TD Garden.

“Charlie, in the last little while here — I thought he started the year off well and now he’s just dominating,” Montgomery told reporters postgame. “That’s a man’s goal to take it there, because there’s traffic. There’s (Patrick) Brown, there’s Red Wing defenders as well and he just bull-rushes them in there.

“That’s a hard play on the goalie because he has to be flat on the goal line, and I think that’s why the puck got in there.

McAvoy has been on a scoring tear lately, as he’s taken his game to another level by being aggressive with the puck. His goal Saturday came after a three-assist performance Thursday and gives him five points in his last four games.

He also happens to be leading the NHL’s best penalty kill.

“(Bruins assistant coach Joe Sacco) is awesome,” McAvoy said Saturday, passing off credit. “He’s been there since I’ve been here. … Obviously the (penalty kill) is his strong suit every year. We’re at the top of (the) league so we’re doing good things. And that always starts with him.”

It seems like McAvoy, under the direction of Montgomery and Sacco, is putting the pieces together and unlocking a new level to his game. If he can continue to score at a break-neck pace while playing his customary smothering defense, it might be time to start looking at Norris Trophy odds.

That would only be right for such a “dominant” player.