Charlie McAvoy removes Miles Wood from the crease. pic.twitter.com/qN7GhJR8p7
— Conor Ryan (@ConorRyan_93) January 15, 2021
By Matt Dolloff, 985TheSportsHub.com
Charlie McAvoy asserted himself in his first game as the Bruins’ unquestioned No. 1 defenseman on Thursday against the Devils. One of his finest balls-on-the-table moments came when he dragged Miles Wood out of the crease like an overstuffed trash bag.
You can watch the nice little moment in the above video, via Conor Ryan of the Boston Sports Journal. McAvoy channeled a lot of dads with the move. Ever had to move some dusty old boxes to find something buried in the attic? Ever had enough of your kid’s tantrum and just want to leave the store? Then when you saw McAvoy subtly emasculate Wood in that moment, you felt it.
The hope is McAvoy is a lot of guys’ daddy with the way he plays this season. He absolutely ragdolled Egor Sharangovich on the game’s biggest hit, and unfortunately it was a tad late as it earned him an interference penalty. But it’s the kind of physicality that should serve McAvoy and the Bruins well in the long run.
Charlie McAvoy launches Sharangovich.
— Conor Ryan (@ConorRyan_93) January 15, 2021
Two minutes for interference. pic.twitter.com/pTP3dyPUfN
McAvoy is the pivot point between the Bruins’ old guard and the new era. If they’re going to even sniff Stanley Cup contention in a season with so much roster turnover on defense, McAvoy is going to need to take a big step forward.
MORE: Bruins get enough out of young defense in win over Devils
He’s certainly trying to take a step forward in terms of being the alpha on the ice. Dragging Wood out of Tuukka Rask’s crease was a small glimpse of that assertiveness.
Listen to Matt Dolloff and Ty Anderson preview the 2020-21 Bruins in the newest episode of the SideLines podcast.
Matt Dolloff is a digital producer for 985TheSportsHub.com. Any opinions expressed do not necessarily reflect those of 98.5 The Sports Hub, Beasley Media Group, or any subsidiaries. Have a news tip, question, or comment for Matt? Yell at him on Twitter @mattdolloff or send him a nasty email at matthew.dolloff@bbgi.com.