When it was announced that the Boston Bruins were having David Pastrnak and Charlie McAvoy travel with them on their three-game road trip, it got fans' hopes up that a return to the lineup was coming sooner than some expected.
On Tuesday morning, head coach Marco Sturm said that Pastrnak was going to be a game-time decision against the St. Louis Blues that night. He ended up slotting into the lineup on the third line with Marat Khusnutdinov and Fraser Minten. That turned out to be a big decision after Pastrnak recorded three assists in the Black and Gold's 5-2 win over former coach Jim Montgomery for the second time in five days.
The second stop on the three-game trip is Thursday night in Winnipeg against the Jets. Boston could be getting McAvoy back in the lineup after Sturm said that, like Pastrnak the other night in St. Louis, he'll be a game-time decision, according to Jim McBride of the Boston Globe.
Bruins defenseman Charlie McAvoy will be game-time decision against Jets
McAvoy has been out since taking a deflected puck to the face on Nov. 15 against the Montreal Canadiens. He underwent surgery and has been on injured reserve. Getting him back would be a huge addition to the Bruins' defense against a strong Winnipeg team and in front of Joonas Korpisalo, who will get the start in goal.
In 19 games this season, McAvoy has 14 assists for the Bruins. When he was injured, he was playing some of his best hockey in terms of offense, setting up goals, and averaging nearly 24 minutes a night. When he returns to the lineup, it'll be interesting to see how Sturm uses him and how much he plays him in terms of minutes.
Another thing worth monitoring is how the defensive pairings play out and who comes out of the lineup. The defense has been playing well as of late, and who is a healthy scratch is worth keeping an eye on.