Bruins Game Day Notes: Charlie McAvoy could return to game action Saturday

It's possible Bruins rookie defenseman Charlie McAvoy could return to the lineup on Saturday when the team hosts the Toronto Maple Leafs at 7 p.m. at TD Garden. McAvoy had a procedure to treat an abnormal heart rhythm on Jan. 22.

McAvoy, 20, was cleared to resume all activities after a follow-up appointment on Wednesday. He had been skating on his own this week, but was able to participate in the team's optional morning skate this morning at Warrior Ice Arena.

"He's getting closer," said coach Bruce Cassidy. "I'm not going to rule him out for Saturday. Let's get a good practice in (Friday) and re-evaluate."



McAvoy was sporting a red no-contact sweater during Thursday's morning skate, but Cassidy reiterated that the defenseman has been cleared for contact. At this point, it's more about getting his conditioning back since he hasn't played since Jan. 20. The procedure was done through a small catheter through the lower abdomen and into the heart, so his groin area had been a bit sore.

He was all smiles after his first time back with his teammates.

"Yeah, I was real excited for that," he said. "I've obviously skated on my own a couple of times, but to be back out there and pass the puck with somebody, and to engaged in some high-pace drills was good. It's a good day.

"It's a big step in the process to be back out there and be able to exert myself and not really have to monitor where I'm at and just to play. It was good. I got the heart rate up and I feel good."

Since he's only been off the ice for about a week, McAvoy admitted there wasn't any rust, which is a "luxury" for someone who had the type of procedure he had. As far as playing on Saturday, he said he wants to make sure he's 100 percent before making that decision.

"Getting out there today was a good step in that direction, a good start to the process," McAvoy said. "Really, (my return) is when my body says you're ready to go and when the trainers feel I'm ready to go. I'd rather come back 100 percent than come back less than that and I want to be able to play great hockey and put our team in a good spot when I come back, so there are a couple of things to think about there, but today was a good step."

Slow starts: The Bruins have allowed the first goal in the last eight games and that's a trend that Cassidy wants to see end quickly.

"We addressed it this morning," admitted the coach. "At least the part about (how) it's crept in and not just about one of those out-of-the-blue things. It is part of our makeup now that we have to change. The part that was addressed was be on your toes, be assertive early, not reckless, but assertive and live with the consequences. Whether that translates or not we'll find out."

Masked man: Tuukka Rask will start against the Blues. He owns a 4-2-3 record, including one shutout, a 2.39 goals-against average and a .913 save percentage in 10 career games against St. Louis. Overall, he's 19-8-4 with a 2.16 GAA and a .922 SP in 32 games this season. He enters tonight's game with a career-best 18-game point streak (16-0-2), which is tied for the fourth-longest streak by a goalie in franchise history.

Injury updates: Noel Acciari continues to battle through a lower-body injury and will miss his third consecutive game. It's been bothering him since the New York Islanders game on Jan. 18. He's considered day-to-day. Fellow forward Anders Bjork, who suffered an upper-body injury during Tuesday's 3-1 loss to the Anaheim Ducks, is definitely out the next two games and will be re-evaluated next week. He was seen sporting a sling on his left arm, likely the result of a shoulder injury.

Starring role: Patrice Bergeron has been named the NHL's second star for the month of January. He recorded nine goals and eight assists for 17 points in 11 games last month. He also posted a plus-nine rating in that span.

Here are the Bruins’ projected line combinations and defensive pairings vs. Blues. 

Forwards

Heinen-Bergeron-Pastrnak
DeBrusk-Krejci-Spooner
Cehlarik-Nash-Backes
Schaller-Kuraly-Vatrano

Defense

Chara-Carlo
Krug-McQuaid
Grzelcyk-Miller

Goalies

Rask

Khudobin