After losing five of their previous seven games, the Boston Bruins were facing the Washington Capitals for the second time in three nights Friday night at the TD Garden.
Following a 2-1 shootout loss Wednesday night, the Bruins were looking to gain a split from the mini two-game series with the Capitals. Emotions ran high after Caps tough guy Tom Wilson hit B’s defensemen Brandon Carlo and knocked him out of the game and subsequently sent him to a Boston hospital. In the end, the Black and Gold got the best form of revenge, on the scoreboard.
Boston got several performances from many different players that helped them beat the Capitals, 5-1. Here are five “Studs” for the Bruins that helped them win their 13th game of the season.
5. Charlie McAvoy
In the first period, Charlie McAvoy went to hit Garnet Hathaway and got the worst end of the contact, which ended up with McAvoy heading to the locker room with a cut above his eye. After that point, the Bruins young defensemen had another night where he was a rock on the blueline.
He had a plus-4 through two periods, with Boston holding a 4-0 lead and he set up rookie Trent Fredric with the first of three second-period goals with one of the better passes of the season. The puck came to him at the point and he wound up to take what looked like a slap shot, only to slide a pass to a wide-open Frederic in the slot and he was able to redirect the pass into an open net for a 2-0 advantage.
McAvoy, who was second on the team with 22:36 of time-on-ice and finished with a plus-3, picked up an assist in the first period on a Brad Marchand’s goal. What started out as an “Oh no” moment in the first period when he went to the locker room following his collision with Hathaway, ended up being another solid night for the young blueliner.