BSJ Game Report: Bruins 3, Flames 1 - McAvoy returns, lifts B’s to another win at TD Garden

Everything you need to know from the Bruins’  3-1 win over the Flames, with BSJ insight and analysis:

BOX SCORE

HEADLINES

Charlie McAvoy returns with a bang: Considering the good fortune that has befallen the Bruins so far during this scorching start to the 2022-23 season, the events that played out on Thursday night shouldn’t have come as much of a surprise. 

Once again, the Bruins were the beneficiaries of a key player returning from injury weeks ahead of their projected recovery timeline — with Charlie McAvoy given the green light to play after being on the mend from shoulder surgery. 

And much like Brad Marchand’s sterling debut in his return from hip surgery, it was all but a given that McAvoy was going to stamp his name in the stat sheet on Thursday against the Flames — with the B’s top blueliner giving Boston the lead for good in what was an eventual 3-1 win over Calgary.

McAvoy, who found twine at 18:27 in the second period off a shot through traffic, helped Boston improve to 12-2-0 on the season — including an 8-0-0 record at TD Garden. 

Even though Jim Montgomery noted after morning skate that McAvoy wasn’t going to have any minutes restrictions, it was clear that Boston wasn’t going to tax him on special teams — with McAvoy finishing with *just* 19:18 of ice time, including just 1:02 on the man advantage.

Still, given McAvoy’s ability to impact a game by way of his transition game, improved shot, shutdown talent in the D-zone and physicality, getting him back on the ice is a massive lift to a B’s defense that has already been operating at a very high level. 

Concerning details continue to sprout up amid strong start: The Bruins continued to roll on Thursday against a very good (albeit slumping) Flames team, but Montgomery’s club was once again plagued by some pretty concerning lapses in their overall execution.

What started against the Maple Leafs last Saturday and continued against the Blues Monday once again reared its head against Calgary — with Boston trudging through some extended stretches of sluggish play, especially when it came to breaking the puck through the neutral zone.

Granted, Calgary is a HEAVY team that can make even the best teams struggle to adhere to their forechecking pressure, but Boston can’t expect to win plenty of games where it lands its first shot of the period at 8:13 (first) and 9:38 (second). 

FOUR UP

Connor Clifton: It wasn’t a perfect game by any means for Clifton, who was knocked in the early going for some indecisive play and lapses in execution. But the B’s blueliner more than made up for it with his first tally of the season at 16:38 in the first. And, in typical Cliffy Hockey fashion, it was the result of chasing down his own rebound and snapping one past Dan Vladar. Clifton finished with 19:28 TOI in the win — the second-most minutes among B’s defenseman — while adding two hits, including one against Milan Lucic. 

Nick Foligno: He didn’t record a point in Thursday’s win, but Foligno played an active role in two of Boston’s tallies — battling down low and screening Vladar on both of Clifton and McAvoy’s goals. It’s no easy task scrapping against the likes of Lucic down near the crease, but Foligno was up to the task. Add in his bout with Kevin Rooney after he objected to the forward’s hit on Tomas Nosek, and Foligno continues to do the little things to help this team win.

Linus Ullmark: Make it six straight starts for Ullmark, who doesn’t seem to be slowing down any time soon. Ullmark was stellar in net once again for the Bruins, stopping 31 of the 32 shots that came his way in the win. 

Penalty kill: Noah Hanifin might have scored just seconds after Calgary’s first power play, but Boston’s top-ranked PK as a whole was stout all night against the Flames — finishing with a perfect 6-for-6 against the Flames’ man advantage. 

ONE DOWN

David Krejci: A pretty sloppy game from Krejci — who hasn’t fallen back into a groove since returning from his upper-body injury. A lot of uncharacteristic indecision with the puck in this one, including a brutal turnover that nearly set up his old linemate in Lucic for a Grade-A look.

PLAY OF THE GAME

LOOSE PUCKS

LOOKING AHEAD

The Bruins will now head on the road for one game — with the B’s set to battle the Sabres on Saturday night up at the KeyBank Center. Puck drop is set for 7 p.m.