SUNRISE, Fla. — The last time Charlie McAvoy lit the lamp in the playoffs, Tuukka Rask was still in net for Boston, and old faces like Patrice Bergeron, David Krejci, Sean Kuraly and Craig Smith were skating up front.
It was May 29, 2021 — the opening game between the Bruins and Islanders in a second-round series.
It took McAvoy nearly three years to find the back of the net during playoff hockey once again. But it couldn’t have come at a more perfect time for the Bruins on Tuesday night.
With the Bruins on the brink of elimination at the hands of the Panthers, it was McAvoy who helped lead the way with a breakthrough game at Amerant Bank Arena — scoring the game-winning goal and adding a helper in Boston’s 2-1 win in Game 5.