Tag Archives: Stanley Cup

Boston Bruins History: The Kraut Line Part 1

From 1937 to 1947 one of the most dominant lines in hockey belonged to the Boston Bruins. Left Winger Woody Dumart, Center Milt Schmidt (who’s well known as The Ultimate Bruin), and Right Winger Bobby Bauer made up what was originally named the “Sauerkraut Line” for their German heritage. The nickname was quickly shortened to “The Kraut Line”. The three grew up playing hockey together in Kitchener, Ontario and made their way through the ranks together. By the time they got to the NHL their skills were well known. So was their nickname.

Dominating the NHL

The trio led the Bruins to two Stanley Cup victories in 1939 and 1941 and went 1, 2, and 3 in NHL scoring during the 1939-40 season. In that 39-40 season Milt Schmidt finished first in the NHL with 52 points. Woody Dumart and Bobby Bauer finished second and third in the NHL with 43 points each. That year Bauer won the Lady Byng Trophy for the NHL’s “Most Gentlemanly Player”, while Schmidt was elected to the First All-Star Team and Bauer and Dumart were elected to the Second All-Star Team.

Milt Schmidt later recollected, “There are several reasons why we had success that year. The three of us roomed together in Brookline, Massachusetts. We had one big room so that we were always together. After practices we discussed things we should work on. After a game we’d say, ‘Well we did this wrong or did that wrong.’ There was no nightlife or anything like that. We really worked at it and I think that had more to do with the success of our line than anything else. To finish one-two-three… I don’t know of any other line that did that before us and we were quite proud of the fact. Hard work. That was it.”

Rivalries Put on Hold

When World War II started, Schmidt, Dumart, and Bauer joined the Royal Canadian Air Force. They continued playing for the Bruins until it was time for deployment overseas in 1942. On February 10, 1942, the Boston Bruins played against the Montreal Canadiens at the Boston Garden. It’s no secret that the Bruins/Canadiens rivalry is the oldest and bitterest in hockey. That night the Bruins put a beating on Montreal, winning 8-1. But this was no ordinary game. This was the last game The Kraut Line would play before going overseas to fight for the Allies. Accordingly, for the first and only time, the rivalry was put aside. After losing in Boston, the Montreal Canadiens and Boston Bruins together hoisted all three members of The Kraut Line onto their shoulders and skated them around the ice.

Milt Schmidt talked about that night to the Boston Globe’s Kevin Paul Dupont in 2010. “It shows you that out on the ice you’re enemies, but as soon as you’re off the ice, you can be good friends. To be treated like that, Bob, Woody, and I, before going into the service, it’s such a credit to the Canadiens, as players and people.” And with that, The Kraut Line was off to war. Hockey would have to wait.

Game 7 Recap | The Bruins Fall to the Blues

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It starts in October. 31 teams, 31 fanbases. We hope, we dream, and we pray to the Hockey Gods (I imagine they’re big-bellied, beer-guzzling, bearded bad-asses who show one another affection by fighting). We all want one thing: the Stanley Cup. This year it came down to the Boston Bruins and the St. Louis Blues. It took all 7 games, but the Bruins ultimately fell to the Blues, who won their first Stanley Cup in their 51-year history.

Starting Strong

The Bruins were on home ice at TD Garden in Boston. The crowd was chanting “Let’s Go Bruins”, they were loud, and they were proud. The Black and Gold came out swinging. They fired at Blues goalie Jordan Binnington from every angle, and limited the Blues to one shot on goal in over 10 minutes to start the game. The Bruins outshot the Blues 12-4 in the first period, but that ultimately didn’t matter. With 3:13 left in the first period Ryan O’Reilly scored on a deflection to put the Blues up 1-0. Later, Brad Marchand went to the bench for an ill-timed line change, leaving Alex Pietrangelo a wide-open lane and shot at Rask. Pietrangelo scored with 7.9 seconds left in the first.

In the second period the Blues fed off their momentum. Neither team scored in the second, but St. Louis was taking over. They established a defensive stand at center ice, limiting offensive opportunities for the Bruins by forcing turnovers and pouring the puck back into the Bruins zone. Rask stood tall, denying all shots, but the Blues wouldn’t be deterred. They hit more and stayed on the puck, bringing the momentum with them into the third period.

Collapse

Entering the third period down 2-0 the Bruins were still alive. They pushed, making great entries into the St. Louis zone. But Binnington was a brick wall, allowing nothing. He made easy saves on weak shots, he made brilliant saves on nearly unstoppable shots. No matter what the Bruins gave him, Binnington was equal to the task. With 8:35 left in the game Brayden Schenn scored, putting the game all but out of reach at 3-0. Four minutes later the final nail was put in the coffin when Zach Sanford scored. Up 4-0 with 4:38 left in the season, the Bruins got desperate. They pulled Rask, putting six men on the ice for Boston, but they couldn’t get anything past Binnington until Matt Grzelcyk scored with 2:10 left. It made little difference in the outcome of the game, but it did prevent a St. Louis Game 7 shutout in Boston.

After the game Brad Marchand told Boston Sports Journal’s Conor Ryan, “It’s a heartbreaker. It’s tough to describe. You know, they just took our dream, our lifetime dream from us, and everything we’ve worked for our entire lives, and it’s 60 minutes away from that. You can’t describe it.”

Moving Forward

The loss brings many offseason questions. Zdeno Chara signed a one-year contract extension. Will the 42 year-old actually come back and try to get to the Finals again next year? Or will he retire after coming to the brink and losing? The Bruins core is getting older, and some of the young guys will need new contracts. There’s a lot of work to be done to try to get back to the Cup. In October we’ll start over. We’ll hope, we’ll dream, and we’ll pray to those often insufferable Hockey Gods.

GAME 7| STANLEY CUP FINAL: BOSTON BRUINS VS ST. LOUIS

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It all comes down this. Tonight, the Boston Bruins will face one last challenge and the prize for all their effort: one big silver cup. For the St. Louis Blues, if they win, it would be their first time since coming into the league in 1967. For Boston, this is the first Game Seven Stanley Cup Final being played at home.

DOWN BUT NEVER OUT

It’s been a long journey for both teams this season, and for the Bruins it has been a test of will and “next man up.” Boston dealt with many injuries throughout the regular season that forced Coach Bruce Cassidy to juggle the lines and relay on the fast legs of a few Providence players. And yet, despite the many setbacks, the team managed to stay afloat while ending their regular season in the Eastern Conference behind the Tampa Bay Lightning.

KEEPING THE PRESSURE

The Boston Bruins were sort of the dark horse to make into the final; it was all about the Lightning. But the Hockey Gods had other plans, and miraculously the juggernaut that was Tampa Bay fell in the first round. As the Bruins defeated the Toronto Maple Leafs in a well-fought series, their focus would turn to the Columbus Blue Jackets.

After a stunning sweep of the Lightning, Columbus were looking to repeat that formula with the Bruins. But a factor that hindered a potential sweep: Tuukka Rask. For as good as Sergei Bobrovsky was, Rask was that much better. He had a combined .948 save percentage with a shutout performance in Game Six, and the Bruins would continue on to face Carolina.With each game and series win, the narrative changed quickly in Boston when it came to Rask. If the Bruins win, will Tuukka finally get the respect he deserves?

After a sweep of the Carolina Hurricanes, the stage had been set for Bruins: they would be in Stanley Cup Finals. Boston would be facing a tough competitor in St. Louis. In a series fret with a fair amount of controversies, winning a Game Seven at home for the Stanley Cup is a dream not every player gets to experience.

“I think that every hockey player can say that at one point in your life, or plenty of times, they’ve dreamed of being in a position like this. But it’s much different when you’re going through it and realizing how exciting and hard it is. You just have so much more appreciation for what we’ve been through and the road we’ve taken to get here. It’s a very special opportunity, regardless of how it plays out tomorrow. It’s been a special adventure with this group. Hopefully it ends on a good note…it’s gonna be a very hard-fought battle.”
Bruins Forward Brad Marchand

🎥Forward Noel Acciari on growing up dreaming of an opportunity like the one the #NHLBruins will have on Wednesday: "Mini sticks, outside, you're always playing next goal wins Game 7, Stanley Cup goal…It's going to be an exciting, emotional game." pic.twitter.com/RO4BNmvyGv
— Boston Bruins (@NHLBruins) June 11, 2019

"We're expecting the fans to be awesome. The energy is going to be electric. The atmosphere – I can't even imagine how it's going to be like."

🎥Patrice Bergeron expects the @tdgarden crowd to bring it in Game 7: pic.twitter.com/LpRFxzY55t
— Boston Bruins (@NHLBruins) June 11, 2019

QUICK NOTES

It was recently announced that Bruins defenseman Matt Grzelcyk has been cleared to play, however will be a gametime decision. If he plays, Coach Bruce Cassidy stated he would go in for Connor Clifton.

FINAL THOUGHTS

Tonight will mark 106 games played by the Boston Bruins. The expectations are high, and both teams will be gunning to bring every single thing they have onto the ice. The Bruins are within reach of adding another Championship to the city. For both Boston and St. Louis, this was no easy journey. And despite the outcome, this has been a wild ride.

“It’s winner take all…not much needs to be said. It’s not hard to get up for these games. It’s the biggest game of the year, obviously. We just have to be ready to go.”
Bruins Center Charlie Coyle

This is it folks. ONE MORE GAME. Put your lucky jersey on, get your beers ready, pray to whatever god you pray to and let’s have a good game.

Go Bruins.

WHEN TO WATCH: Tonight with puck drop after 8:00 pm, TD GARDEN

WHERE TO WATCH: NBC

Follow me on Twitter @pastagrl88

Recap: The Boston Bruins Force Game 7

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The Boston Bruins had their backs against the wall going into Enterprise Stadium in St. Louis on Sunday night. The Stanley Cup was in the building and the Blues were looking to hoist it in front of their home crowd. Word got out that the Blues already had a restaurant rented to celebrate their victory and a St. Louis newspaper had leaked an image online congratulating the Blues on their Stanley Cup win. Boston had an uphill battle to climb and they were up to the task.

Motivation

In the locker room before the game, Patrice Bergeron gave a rousing speech to fire up the boys in black and gold. Jake DeBrusk spoke about it afterward. “He’s a legend. He said some words that I don’t know if he necessarily wants me to repeat. They weren’t bad words. It was just about what we all dream about doing. Everyone that grows up playing hockey dreams of being in this moment. It was something along those lines and to see him set the tone that way wanted us all to run through a wall.”

Quick Start

If the St. Louis Blues defense was the proverbial wall, the Bruins certainly ran through it. In the first period they had a 5-3 power play and capitalized almost immediately with a goal by Brad Marchand. After holding a 1-0 lead through two periods, the Bruins opened the floodgates in the third. Two and a half minutes into the period Brandon Carlo scored, and halfway through the period Karson Kuhlman scored his first career postseason goal, putting the Bruins up 3-0.

With eight minutes left in the game, Blues Center Ryan O’Reilly scored in a bizarre incident. Tukka Rask stopped the puck with his right leg pad, kicked it back out and play continued. During the next stoppage in play word had come down from Toronto to review the shot attempt. Upon review it was determined that the puck had completely cleared the line, making it a good goal. St. Louis was on the board and had life with the score now 3-1.

Closing Out Strong

That was the only goal they would score. With six minutes remaining, Brad Marchand, in front of the net, sent a backward pass to David Pastrnak. Pastrnak faked a shot, baiting goalie Jordan Binnington, who laid out to make a stop. The puck was shot top shelf and went in easily. Finally, with just under three minutes left, Zdeno Chara scored with an unassisted slap shot, making the final score 5-1. After the game, Brad Marchand said, “We’re fighting for our lives obviously. When you play desperate, I think you see everyone’s best game.”

The Bruins are now 3-0 when facing elimination this post season and Tuukka Rask is a major part of that. His goals allowed average is 1.34, and he has a .953 save percentage in elimination games. Boston will host Game 7 on Wednesday night. The Cup will be at TD Garden and somebody will be hoisting it in victory. Both teams will be desperate. With Rask in net and the home crowd fired up and participating, this Boston Bruins team could very well pull the victory. They’ll need everyone ready to run through a wall to do so.

Bruins Vs. Blues | Stanley Cup Game 5 Preview

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Two steps forward, one step back. That’s how the Stanley Cup Finals have gone for the Boston Bruins. They won Game 1 with a four-unanswered-goal comeback, taking it 4-2. They dominated Game 3 scoring four power play goals and winning 7-2. Unfortunately, Game 4 played similarly to Game 2. The Bruins couldn’t maintain the puck in the offensive zone, couldn’t keep it out of their own, and committed far too many turnovers. They lost Game 2 in overtime 3-2, then lost Game 4 by a score of 4-2. Both losses also came with injuries to the Bruins defense. In Game 2 Matt Grzelcyk was hit by Oskar Sundqvist and hasn’t played since due to a concussion. In Game 4 Zdeno Chara deflected the puck into his face and it’s reported that he has a broken jaw.

Tie Breaker

Tied at 2, the series is now a best-of-three. Game 5 is in Boston, as well as Game 7 if necessary. The Bruins will look to utilize the home crowd and light up the scoreboard early. They’ll need to establish and maintain offensive zone time and shoot at the net every chance they get. In both losses the Bruins had significantly fewer shots on goal than the Blues. Tuukka Rask has been amazing throughout the playoffs, but he’s going to need more offensive help to win the Stanley Cup.

Utilizing the Power Play

The Bruins haven’t been as productive during 5-on-5 play lately, so the key will be drawing penalties. They’ve been lethal on the power play and that can jump-start the full-strength offense. The Blues have been physical with several borderline (and a few egregious) hits, so getting a few calls should be inevitable. If the Bruins can capitalize on those chances and get something going, maintain puck possession, and cut down on turnovers, they’ll have a great chance of winning.

Defensive Woes

The defensive situation is a big question. Matt Grzelcyk was at practice on Wednesday, which is good news. But he was wearing the red, “no-contact”, jersey. So whether or not he plays in Game 5 remains to be seen. Chara is another question mark. There still hasn’t been any official word on him or his availability, but he wasn’t at practice on Wednesday. He’s consistently led the Bruins in ice time, so if he can’t play that leaves the Bruins with a large defensive hole. The current speculation is that Coach Bruce Cassidy will dress seven defensemen, instead of the usual five, to fill that void.

The Bruins had to win Game 3, and to do so they would have to play their best game of the season. They did. This time even more is on the line and they’ll have to play just as tough. They can’t allow the Blues to win Game 5 in Boston and go back to St. Louis to potentially win it all. Game 5 is an absolute must-win for the Bruins, and they’ll need all four lines showing up in force to do so. The series, the season, and the Stanley Cup is on the line.

Who Will Be the Next Bruins Banner Captain?

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Game 5 of the Stanley Cup Finals is set for Thursday, June 6th at TD Garden in Boston. It’s a pivotal and important game for both teams with the series tied at 2. The Blues will be riding momentum after beating the Bruins 4-2 in Game 4. The Bruins, however, have shown they have the resilience to fight back after coming back from a 2-0 deficit in Game 1 and winning 4-2. They’ve also shown they can completely dominate by winning Game 3 in St. Louis 7-2. The Bruins will need the hometown crowd to participate, getting as loud and supportive as possible. One of the keys to their Game 3 win was scoring early and taking the St. Louis crowd out of the game. They weren’t so lucky in Game 4.

Crowd Involvement

The crowd needs to get into the game early. In fact, they need to get loud and rowdy before the puck drops. That’s a job for the Banner Captain. The role of the Banner Captain is to wave the Bruins flag shortly before puck drop to get the crowd going. For Game 1 it was a position mutually held by the 2011 Stanley Cup-Winning Bruins team. In Game 2 it was New England Patriots head coach Bill Belichick. So who should wave the flag as Banner Captain before the pivotal Game 5?

Could it be Brady?

The rumor mill is churning with heavy force in that regard. The overwhelming prediction is Patriots quarterback Tom Brady. Brady doesn’t usually participate in other Boston sporting events due to his rigorous schedule. That said, if the G.O.A.T. showed up waving the flag the crowd would erupt on an epic scale. Brady’s already assisted Captain Zdeno Chara in a hype video before Game 1, and has actively participated in support of the Bruins via social media. If he were at the game in person it wouldn’t just be the fans with electric energy, it’d be the Bruins themselves. In the company of greatness a competitor always wants to push just a bit harder and execute just a bit better. One of the greatest players in the history of the NFL showing up at the Garden to represent the Bruins would be dangerous for the Blues.

Orr Someone Else?

If Tom Brady is unavailable the second most likely choice is Bruins legend Bobby Orr. Yes, he was already a Banner Captain during the series against the Carolina Hurricanes, but there are two things to keep in mind. First, let’s be honest, the Boston faithful never get tired of Mr. Orr. Second, in such an important game, tied against the St. Louis Blues in the Stanley Cup Finals, an ideal choice would be the man that scored the game winning goal against them in 1970. History and Bruins royalty make an electric combination.

There’s always the chance they go with another Boston sports icon. Rob Gronkowski, David Ortiz, Pedro Martinez… frankly, the list could go on and on. But the Bruins will likely be looking to make a big splash with this one and, for the record, Tom Brady is currently participating in Patriots Mini Camp right down the road. Imagine him waving the flag while yelling his inspirational catchphrase, “LET’S GO!”

Something’s Bruin

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Let me kick this whole thing off with some straight honesty. I am not a hockey guy.

From my vey cheap seats, here is what I know…

Icing is something that goes on a cake.

The crease is a place where you wipe.

The neutral zone is a description of my high school (ok, and college….and global) sex life…

Why?

Anyway. Playoff hockey is the best. Really. THE best. I’m a football guy by nature, but lets face some facts. Baseball completely sucks. Basketball is baseball’s younger, junkie brother. BUT, hockey – playoffs in particular -might just be the best thing in sports. The better team typically wins simply because of more hustle and tenacity. How awesome is that? Skate, push, fight harder than your opponent; and you likely will win. It’s amazing.

My brother-in-law was arguably one of the best players New England has produced and he gets it. I don’t. At all. I try…but, totally faking it. If I played this sport, I would be the guy throwing cheap shots at weak opponents and shooting pucks at hot girls on the stands for attention.

As a Bruins/Boston fan, please enjoy this. We are spoiled. So spoiled. Boston is blessed. America hates us. Good. Sorry y’all, but that’s life. Now dust off those duck boats. Its been like a hundred days since our last world champion team. Puck off!

See you Monday for Game 4. I’ll be the guy with the brand new Bs t-shirt from Kohl’s.

Game 3 Stanley Cup Final | Boston Bruins VS St. Louis Blues

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Game 2 of the Stanley Cup Finals didn’t go Boston’s way. After trading goals back and forth with St. Louis, the first period ended tied at 2. Despite goals from Charlie Coyle and Joakim Nordstrom, the Bruins attack soon fell flat. The second and third periods were defensive battles that resulted in no scores, forcing overtime. Just 3:51 into that overtime period with a delayed call against the Bruins, Blues defenseman Carl Gunnarsson scored to tie the series 1-1.

A Physical Game

The Blues played with a physical ferocity that the Bruins couldn’t keep up with. A hit by Blues center Oskar Sundqvist on Bruins defenseman Matt Grzelcyk resulted in a two minute penalty and Grzelcyk leaving the game. He’s now in concussion protocol, will miss at least Game 3 and likely Game 4. Sundqvist was given a one-game suspension. Once again, goalie Tuukka Rask was outstanding, but in the second and third periods the Bruins seemed sluggish. Whether there’s still some rust or they were just tired from the physical play, the Bruins didn’t look like themselves. The first line of Bergeron, Marchand, and Pastrnak was separated, moving Pasta to the second line and bumping up Danton Heinen. They never got into a rhythm and the team suffered for it.

“I know we haven’t played our best yet,” Center Charlie Coyle said after the game. “Our starts have been off for whatever reason. So we just have to look at some things and go over some things… We have to be on time in this league.”

Bringing the Battle to St. Louis

Game 3 will be an uphill battle. The Blues will be riding the momentum of their win and they’ll be feeding off the energy of the St. Louis home crowd. Boston will have to play their best game of the season. That said, in Game 2 the Bruins looked completely off their game and the Blues played their hearts out. Despite that, it still took an OT delayed call for the Blues to win.

The Bruins have everything they need to take Game 3. In Game 2 they couldn’t keep the puck in the zone, they gave up too many turnovers, and they couldn’t capitalize on power plays. They’ll need to be more productive on the power play, establish offensive zone time, and shoot more instead of attempting as many unnecessary passes that resulted in turnovers. This series is still early. There’s a lot of time left for the first line to get into their groove and lead the way.

Defenseman Torey Krug had this to say about that first, “Perfection Line”, “That’s kind of been the way the playoffs have gone for them, right? In every series, you give them enough time and enough reps against a certain matchup, they’re smart enough hockey players, they know what’s going to be open and they’ll find a way to break through.”

How To Win

It’s going to be a physical and punishing game. The Big Bad Bruins will need to be just that and dish it out just as much as they get it. The Blues think they found a chink in Boston’s armor and they’ll be on the attack. The Bruins will need to be just as physical, if not more so. Clean hits and staying out of the box will be key. Tuukka Rask will keep them in the game, the first and fourth lines (the best lines thus far) will need to step up and take the game away. Coach Bruce Cassidy said that in Matt Grzelcyk’s absence, defenseman John Moore will likely take his place. Moore could just be the fresh spark the Bruins need.

Bruins/Blues: The Rematch

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The dust has settled in the NHL and the Boston Bruins are going to the Stanley Cup Final. They’ll be playing the St. Louis Blues in a rematch of the 1970 Stanley Cup Final. This is St. Louis’s first trip back since that game. Meanwhile, this is Boston’s first Finals appearance since they lost in Game 6 to the Chicago Blackhawks in 2013. That was the infamous game in which Tuukka Rask gave up two goals in 17 seconds. It was a heart-wrenching succession that Bruins fans have had to live with ever since. To this day my Chicago friends will still bring it up just to get under my skin. But this isn’t 2013, and this isn’t the same Tuukka Rask.

The Great Wall of Rask

Rask has played great all season, going 27-13-5 in 46 games played with a GAA of 2.48 for a .912 save percentage. In the playoffs he’s now 12-5 with a 1.84 GAA and .942 save percentage. In other words, thus far, Tuukka Rask has been a brick wall. He’s provided an energetic spark of confidence for the rest of the team and it shows. The “Perfect Line” of Patrice Bergeron, Brad Marchand, and David Pastrnak have been just that lately, though it took some time to get there. In the first round against Toronto, Coach Bruce Cassidy was switching Pastrnak back and forth between lines, trying to get him into a rhythm and get him productive again. Thankfully, Rask’s performance in net allowed the time for such tinkering, and ultimately it has paid off.

Time Off

Game 1 is set for Monday, May 27, at 8 pm EST. By the time the final series of the season begins, the Bruins will have had an eleven day break. There’s always a concern of a hot team cooling with that much time off. In fact, this post season every team coming off a sweep has lost the following series. That’s not a stat that bodes well for the Black and Gold, but this team is different. Instead, this time off will give Captain Zdeno Chara some time to heal (he sat during Game 4 of the Eastern Conference Final with an undisclosed injury), and give Tukka Rask a bit of well-earned rest.

Boston’s not the only team with a break, however. The Blues will have had five days off before they take the ice in Game 1. Bruins Coach Cassidy has stated that he met with the New England Patriots to discuss techniques for handling a long break before playing a championship game. He refused to disclose what was said, but if anyone had proper advice for this situation it would be the Patriots. With that experience in their corner, all four lines coming alive, and the stellar play of Tuukka Rask of late, the Boston Bruins could well be on their way to hoist the Cup once again. Boston doesn’t have names like Orr, Esposito, Sanderson, or Cheevers this time, but they have Bergeron, Marchand, Pastrnak, and Rask. Perhaps the Big Bad Bruins are back and the rematch ends with the same result.

Charlie McAvoy: What’s Next?

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The 2018-2019 NHL season is rapidly coming to a close. The Boston Bruins have clinched the Eastern Conference and are four wins away from winning the Stanley Cup. This would be their first time in eight years and the seventh time in franchise history. The Cup is close to coming back to Boston. No matter what happens, the off-season is looming in the near-future, and with it contract negotiations.

Contract Extension

One of the biggest off-season moves for the Bruins is extending defenseman Charlie McAvoy, who becomes a restricted free agent at the end of this year. McAvoy has been a reliable staple on the blue line lately, partnered with Zdeno Chara. He recently turned down a long-term offer by the Bruins, suspected to be due to recent offers to similar players such as defenseman Esa Lindell. Lindell was extended by the Dallas Stars on a 6 year, $34.8 million contract, giving him $5.8 million a year. He scored 11 goals this season and put up 32 points. Making that more enticing is his youth. Lindell is only 25. McAvoy wants a similar contract and why not? The kid’s young with plenty of potential that he’s sure to live up to.

Value

Charlie McAvoy was an integral part of the USA team in the 2017 World Junior Ice Hockey Championship. He received the Player of the Game honor in their gold-medal game win. McAvoy’s also got youth on his side, at 21 years-old, and his stats are impressive this season. He’s missed 28 games due to a concussion, a lower-body injury, and a one-game suspension. Despite that, he has 8 goals and 35 points thus far. McAvoy has the ability to become a superstar on an already star-studded Bruins roster.

Salary Cap Era

Unfortunately, we live in the salary cap era. Dallas can afford to pay Lindell $34.8 million over 6 years because they have the cap space. The Bruins aren’t as fortunate. GM Don Sweeney is still filling the hole that was dug by former GM Peter Chiarelli. McAvoy would be in the upper-echelon pay scale of Bruins players with a contract similar to Lindell’s. He’s a great defenseman who looks to only get better, but is he worth paying as much or more than someone like David Pastrnak? More to the point, is he worth paying so much against the cap that the Bruins can’t afford to keep some of their other top-tier players for much longer? The Chicago Blackhawks did that a few seasons ago with Patrick Kane and Jonathan Toews and it hurt the team.

What Can Be Done

One potential solution is extending the time on the contract. An amount such as $30 million over four years is unrealistic, but over six or seven years could be manageable. It comes down to McAvoy and what he’s willing to accept versus what he feels he’s worth. Would he be willing to take a pay cut to stay in Boston? Furthermore, what happens if the Bruins win the Stanley Cup? The way McAvoy plays combined with his ice time would be factors in that win, giving him a much larger bargaining chip. However, the salary cap is ruthless and inflexible. Only time will tell but this will certainly be an interesting and potentially exciting off-season.