Charlie McAvoy may rejoin the Boston Bruins lineup as early as Tuesday against the Washington Capitals after logging his first full practice on Monday, but the damage is already done.
Boston (30-35-9 and 69 points) has lost eight straight games and now sits eight points out of the final playoff spot.
As David Pastrnak said after Monday's session, losing two top defensemen—McAvoy and fellow blueliner Hampus Lindholm—has already taken a toll on the Bruins.
“Obviously, it’s tough for every player to be out, and I know with Charlie, one of the leaders in this group, it’s extremely tough for him,” Pastrnak said. It hurts, the same with Hampus. He’s having a tough year, too.
“Missing those two guys on the back end obviously shows every game and they’re a big part of our group. We miss them.”
McAvoy practiced Monday in a full-contact jersey for the first time since his shoulder injury at the 4 Nations Face-Off. He has not played since Feb. 15 after suffering an AC joint injury and developing a subsequent infection at the tournament.
McAvoy spoke for the first time last Wednesday, describing his health issue as "scary" for him and his relatives.
“The infection was moving pretty fast after that,” McAvoy said. “It got very serious, very quick. Another thing I’m trying to leave in the past, really. It was scary. It was scary on me. Scary on my family, mostly.”
McAvoy has recorded 23 points in 50 games this season. Hampus Lindholm, out since Nov. 12, played just 17 games before getting ruled out for the remainder of the season.
“Obviously, I think it’s important (to complete the rehabilitation),” McAvoy said. “What I’m trying to do right now is rehab the best I can every single day to potentially play this year.
“To be a part of the group every day, to set an example, to try and get closer every day with these guys, to build relationships, that’s what I’m identifying right now as what I’m trying to accomplish.”
Boston hosts Washington on Tuesday night at TD Garden. The Bruins have just eight games left to try to avoid their first playoff miss since 2016.
That will be a talk task, however, considering Money Puck gives the Bruins a zero-percent chance of making the playoffs entering Tuesday's matchup while assigning Boston a 7.5 percent chance of landing the No. 1 overall pick in the 2025 NHL draft.
