Bruins GM Refutes Charlie McAvoy Theory Amid Panthers Series

The second round of the Stanley Cup playoffs hasn’t been very kind to one of the Bruins’ most important players. Charlie McAvoy wasn’t at his best across Boston’s first four games against the Florida Panthers. The star defenseman didn’t log a point in any of those Eastern Conference semifinal contests, and he registered a minus-2 […]

The second round of the Stanley Cup playoffs hasn’t been very kind to one of the Bruins’ most important players.

Charlie McAvoy wasn’t at his best across Boston’s first four games against the Florida Panthers. The star defenseman didn’t log a point in any of those Eastern Conference semifinal contests, and he registered a minus-2 rating in a pair of those games.

McAvoy’s underwhelming play in this series likely led many to believe the veteran blueliner is battling through an injury. But Bruins general manager Don Sweeney poured cold water on that theory when he met with the media Monday.

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“No. Charlie’s healthy,” Sweeney told reporters, per MassLive. “Teams do a good job on top players. … Great players get heavy attention. In Charlie’s case when he starts the game where he’s impactful in a major way when it comes to set the tone for us. Offensively, he hasn’t found his groove.”

Sweeney also noted how the Bruins would like to see McAvoy “shoot a little bit more,” which obviously is sound advice for a team so desperate for offense. Perhaps McAvoy will look more assertive in Florida’s zone Tuesday night when Boston tries to keep its season alive.

Puck drop from Amerant Bank Arena is set for 7 p.m. ET, but you can catch pregame coverage on NESN an hour prior.