Just a few hours ahead of puck drop in a pivotal Game 5, the Bruins are set to receive some major reinforcements on the blue line.
According to Matt Porter of the Boston Globe, Charlie McAvoy — stuck in COVID protocols since Sunday morning — has cleared protocols and is expected to play on Tuesday night at PNC Arena.
McAvoy did not travel with the B’s on Monday afternoon due to the league-manded isolation requirements, but the B’s top blueliner has apparently tested out of those mandates, most likely by providing two negative tests in the span of 24 hours.
Had McAvoy not been able to test out earlier, he would have missed at least Game 5 — and the established five-day isolation period would put him right on the brink of missing a potentially decisive Game 6 against the Hurricanes on Thursday.
Porter added that McAvoy arrived in North Carolina via private jet and car service — making his way to PNC Arena just a bit before 5 p.m.
With Hampus Lindholm still ruled out on Tuesday due to an upper-body injury, McAvoy’s unexpected return is a massive lift for a Bruins team that was expected to trudge ahead without its top pair for the second straight playoff outing.
Of course, give Boston’s D corps full credit for withstanding Carolina’s forecheck and limiting Grade-A looks around Jeremy Swayman in Sunday’s Game 4 victory, but McAvoy’s return can’t be understated when it comes to the 24-year-old’s shutdown capabilities and transition talents.
With McAvoy expected back in the B’s lineup, it likely pushes out Josh Brown in Boston’s starting lineup, with McAvoy slotting back into that top-pairing spot on the right side with either Mike Reilly or Matt Grzelcyk joining him on that pairing.
