How Bruins’ Charlie McAvoy Flipped Narrative With Game-Winning Goal

Charlie McAvoy needed to make his mark to turn his postseason around and keep the Boston Bruins alive in the playoffs.

Jim Montgomery recently assessed what the Bruins defenseman could do to rise to the occasion this postseason. He started Game 4 against the Florida Panthers with a booming hit to set the tone with physicality. In Game 5, McAvoy found space and netted what would become the game-winning goal in a 2-1 Boston victory.

McAvoy found the back of the net in a postseason game for the first time since 2021. Delivering in that moment offered a breakthrough for the Bruins defenseman.

“I saw we had numbers and (Andrew) Peeke was coming for a change,” McAvoy told reporters, as seen on NESN’s postgame coverage. “Second period, sometimes you can win the change battle and get a chance. Started yelling right away, great play by him to have patience with the puck and find me. I was pumped to see it go in.”

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The goal eventually survived a challenge for goaltender interference on Danton Heinen, keeping several Bruins anxious after watching a similar play go in Florida’s favor in Game 4.

“Oh, he was freaking out,” Bruins forward David Pastrnak joked with reporters, as seen on NESN’s postgame coverage.

“This one has to go our way,” McAvoy added. “Just hoping. On the play when I collected the puck, I got my head up and he seemed squared to me that he was able to square up. It was just one-on-one. He didn’t look like he was interfered with. I just kept thinking that it was a fair play. … Happy that one went our way. You just never know with these things.”

McAvoy delivered when it mattered most, giving the Bruins a chance to compete in Game 6 in front of a Boston crowd at TD Garden.