Jim Montgomery Addresses Panthers ‘Targeting’ Charlie McAvoy

Charlie McAvoy had to have known it was coming Wednesday night.

The Panthers clearly put an early point of emphasis on McAvoy, who received a suspension for a high hit on Florida defenseman Oliver Ekman-Larrson at TD Garden on Oct. 30. The reigning Eastern Conference champions were very physical with McAvoy from the get-go at Amerant Bank Arena, so much so that Boston’s star blueliner nearly dropped the gloves with Nick Cousins in the first period.

But McAvoy never lost his composure and ultimately led all skaters in ice team, playing nearly 28 minutes. After the Bruins’ 3-1 win, head coach Jim Montgomery commended the 25-year-old for keeping his cool.

“They targeted him,” Montgomery told reporters, per The Athletic. “I thought that was a high hit, the first hit of the game. You understand. It’s part of the code of the NHL, after the hit that Charlie had, that there’s going to be a little retribution. You understand that. I thought Charlie handled it really well.”

It was an active night in the Sunshine State for McAvoy, and he stayed busy the following morning. The superstar defenseman carried out the Bruins’ Thanksgiving Day tradition by purchasing and distributing hundreds of pies to local organizations.