Charlie McAvoy loses teeth, then wins game for Bruins in OT

BOSTON — His lip fattened and his mouth bloodied the place his decrease entrance enamel have been presupposed to be, Bruins defenseman Charlie McAvoy informed reporters after his successful aim that he solely had time for two questions.

“Then I have to go get more dental work,” the US Olympian stated after scoring 39 seconds into time beyond regulation Tuesday night time to assist the Bruins beat the Los Angeles Kings 2-1 for their thirteenth straight residence win.

A nine-year NHL veteran who gained an Olympic gold medal final month in Milan, McAvoy missed nearly a month after he was hit in the mouth by a slap shot in November. He wore a face protect for some time when he returned, however he didn’t have one when he took one other puck to the face in opposition to the Nashville Predators final week or on Tuesday night time when he was hit into the glass by Kings heart Samuel Helenius with about seven minutes left in the second interval.

“I just wish the hits would stop coming, honestly,” he stated after a win that helped Boston stay in playoff place. “You know, it’s tiring. My mouth, honestly, couldn’t feel worse. But I’ll get some work. We’ve got a really good dentist here, who’s great. I’m really happy we got two points tonight.”

McAvoy left for the locker room, however returned firstly of the third interval.

“I thought he wouldn’t come back,” Bruins coach Marco Sturm stated. “He’s not getting prettier, that’s for sure.”

Sturm stated McAvoy apologized for enjoying poorly in the primary interval, however he was in the precise spot in time beyond regulation when Mark Kastelic made a protracted go to David Pasternakwho fed the puck to McAvoy as he entered the zone. The defenseman made a transfer to his backhand for the aim.

“He wasn’t that good before the hit,” Sturm stated. “But what do you want me to say? This kid just scored the game-winner.”

The Bruins have been in hazard of a management vacuum after shedding longtime captain Zdeno Chara and his successors Patrice Bergeron and Brad Marchand. They are enjoying and not using a captain, with McAvoy, Hampus Lindholm and Pastrnak serving as alternates.

McAvoy’s toughness might earn him a promotion.

“Those are the guys you need in a locker room,” Sturm stated. “The guy next to him, he’s going to look over (and ask), ‘OK, is he going to battle through it or not?’ If you sit across from him, and if you’re a young guy, to see that, you (say) ‘I don’t want to be the guy who’s going away.'”