Bruins defenseman Brandon Carlo summed things up perfectly Tuesday night.
"You see how we (expletive) go when we just go out there and play," Carlo told teammates, per team-provided video. "I love being part of this group; and 73, what a (expletive) game."
What a (expletive) game for Charlie McAvoy, indeed.
McAvoy was a maniac for Boston, dishing out three hits, blocking four shots, getting six of his own on net, chipping in an assist and scoring the game-winning goal. The B's needed every bit of his performance, too, as their season-saving win came down to the final seconds.
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It's not a stretch to say the Bruins might have started cleaning out their lockers Wednesday if it weren't for their top defenseman. Boston will return to TD Garden on Friday with an opportunity to force a decisive Game 7, though, and it has McAvoy to thank for that.
Just ask them.
"Charlie does it all," Charlie Coyle said postgame, per team-provided video. "... He just leads, and whatever the situation calls for in a game, he comes and makes that big play. Tonight, it was the goal in that moment, but even besides that it's everything else he does in the game to make a big difference."
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Jim Montgomery added: "He's extremely competitive. He's kind of quiet, like he doesn't say much, but you could see him talking a lot tonight on the bench. His play was instrumental in our victory. I think the goal for him is huge."
McAvoy hadn't played a positive role in the series up to Game 5, struggling to get pucks on net and finishing as a minus-four in four games. He found a way to turn it around, though, and will look to carry the momentum into Game 6 on Friday.
"Never say die," McAvoy said Tuesday. "... Let's go home and win a hockey game."
Featured image via Sam Navarro/USA TODAY Sports Images
