Player Discussion Charlie McAvoy IV

[Alicat]

Is Mac perfect? No.

However, this is one of those you don't know what you have until you don't scenarios. Our defense would be a shell of itself without him. And that's no exaggeration.

Charlie McAvoy can play on my team any damn time he wants.

This x100.

 

[PB37]

Too much is made of his ice time. He could probably handle even more time on ice. He never looks worn down at the end of games.

Same for Swayman. He can play every game in the playoffs. It's what goalies do in the playoffs.

I agree on McAvoy. This is the time of year you ride your horses and McAvoy's well conditioned to handle it.

With Swayman, I'm a little bit hesitant. He's the best goalie in the playoffs so far but neither Sway or Ullmark have been horses in terms of playing games, so I do wonder how long he can go before needing a break.

 

[PB37]

Interesting stat about McAvoy: he's skated the most miles out of anyone so far in the playoffs and by an incredible margin.

( these are skating miles tracked by NHL Edge )

• Charlie McAvoy 31.13
• Miro Heiskanen 27.81
• Thomas Harley 26.01
• Morgan Rielly 25.92
• Noah Hanifin 25.64
• Jack Eichel 25.09
• David Pastrnak 25.05
• Brad Marchand 24.59
• Shea Theodore 24.56
• Jake DeBrusk 24.19

 

[KnightofBoston]

I think the root of the issue with Chuckie is that too many fans have MDS

 

[TD Charlie]

I still think he's been far less than his usual self for a few weeks. Yes, he's logging hard minutes, but he's paid to do so, and has done it all season. We know he should be better than this.

 

[The Murph]

A guided missile that can be hit off target from time to time, sometimes for whatever reason, doesn't take much to make him miss his mark.

But never question his heart. He's willing to lay it on the line, go to war out there.

 

[Bodit9]

Mac has struggled. Big minutes against top guys but hasn't looked the same. Too many turnovers and missed assignments.Trying to do too much and overthinking.

 

[Dennis Bonvie]

Interesting stat about McAvoy: he's skated the most miles out of anyone so far in the playoffs and by an incredible margin.

( these are skating miles tracked by NHL Edge )

• Charlie McAvoy 31.13
• Miro Heiskanen 27.81
• Thomas Harley 26.01
• Morgan Rielly 25.92
• Noah Hanifin 25.64
• Jack Eichel 25.09
• David Pastrnak 25.05
• Brad Marchand 24.59
• Shea Theodore 24.56
• Jake DeBrusk 24.19

For one thing, he's played more games than anyone else except for his teammates.

It's also an indication of using his great skating ability to compensate for less than great positioning.

 

[McGarnagle]

If it turns out he has a debilitating shoulder or wrist injury I wouldn't be surprised. He's been handling the puck like Jello.

 

[CharasLazyWrister]

at this point, I think I’m going crazy.

I’m far from a McAvoy fanboy, but I think he’s looked fine pretty much throughout these playoffs so far. Even the games where he wasn’t great, it was more “trying to do too much” than it was “stupid” errors.

Im just not seeing this alarming shitty play from McAvoy so many tell us about after every game. I’m so confused.

Meanwhile, I’ve read numerous posts from leads fans lamenting how much better than they’d be if they only had McAvoy over Reilly.

Again, I just don’t get it.

 

[Dennis Bonvie]

If it turns out he has a debilitating shoulder or wrist injury I wouldn't be surprised. He's been handling the puck like Jello.

Sounds more like Zacha.

He's not even taking faceoffs now.

 

[Shaun]

think he just needs to play simpler he’s doing too much and turning the puck over

 

[elMatador]

Hm, instead of a horse looks more like a donkey.
Zero goals over the last 3 years of playoffs while on PP1.

 

[TD Charlie]

Save for an injury report that would make Evil Knievel wince, his post season performance thus far has been dreadful and embarrassing.

 

[MartyLapointe20]

Traditionally speaking, I think McAvoy has always tried to do too much in the playoffs. I didn’t really feel like that in the Leafs series….. but the last 3 games i think hes been shaky. Since Game 7 - he's been so bad along the wall, failing to get pucks out or make that clean break out pass that he’s capable of. Just losing some of those wall battles and making the play more difficult than it needs to be - some bad turnovers. Like tonight - Maroon goes back with it thinking McAvoy has plenty of ice to work with and it turns into a nightmare play and turnover - I know he got rattled against the boards but that puck needs to get out - and then did his stick break? I don’t even think it broke and he leaves it - next thing you know he’s losing a no chance without a stick rebound battle in front of the net that leads to a goal.

 

[zaYG]

wtf was that game jesus mac

 

[KrugAvoy]

Quite easily the worst player on the team this post season

 

[Aussie Bruin]

at this point, I think I’m going crazy.

I’m far from a McAvoy fanboy, but I think he’s looked fine pretty much throughout these playoffs so far. Even the games where he wasn’t great, it was more “trying to do too much” than it was “stupid” errors.

Im just not seeing this alarming shitty play from McAvoy so many tell us about after every game. I’m so confused.

Meanwhile, I’ve read numerous posts from leads fans lamenting how much better than they’d be if they only had McAvoy over Reilly.

Again, I just don’t get it.

Did you see it last night?

I say that mostly in jest, because as I've said elsewhere I give the players mostly a free pass for that game on account of fatigue, and that has to include McAvoy. But at the same time, some of the sloppy play that's been evident from him for a little while was very much on display here.

As someone who's offered some mild criticism of Charlie of late, I think in the first instance you can immediately discount the extreme - on the whole I don't think he's been bad even though he's made some bad plays. I'd say he's been mostly good alongside stretches of great mixed with some pretty poor patches and very occasional errors that a player of his calibre shouldn't be making. And people have really started to notice those, which draws more attention and more collective heat whenever another even half a gaffe happens. It's a vicious and admittedly unfair circle.

Beyond that, it's a question of what do you expect out of the guy? A solid, pretty consistent 1D who can play lots of minutes and in multiple roles? Tick. Shouldn't be much reasonable argument about that. But if you think he could or should be capable of more, especially in the playoffs when it matters most, in terms of being outright elite either through being a dominant shutdown defender, transitional playmaker, or offensive whiz, or some combination of them, all topped by a razor sharp hockey IQ and clear thinking under pressure at all times, it's not happening. If there's an extra gear he hasn't found it yet.

Is that asking too much? Answer that and you'll have your perspective on whether the criticism is valid, overblown or completely out to lunch.

 

[CDJ]

Quite easily the worst player on the team this post season

Last night he was but as a whole nah, he wouldn’t get the minutes he does if he was

 

[KnightofBoston]

think he just needs to play simpler he’s doing too much and turning the puck over

I sincerely hope it's this kind of adjustment and he's not just playing through an injury

 

[Riverfront]

bruins need McAvoy. There is nothing more to be said. !

 

[gerrycheeversmask]

bruins need McAvoy. There is nothing more to be said. !

The need more from a lot of players (Debrusk, Zacha, JVR, Marchand, Beecher, etc...)

 

[KillerMillerTime]

Last night he was but as a whole nah, he wouldn’t get the minutes he does if he was

How hard is it to be better than Carlo and Wotherspoon? Victimized all 3 GWG against Leafs.

 

[Mad-Marcus]

He has to be <100%. I've never seen him play this consistently poor. If it's mental, we're in trouble.

 

[Dellstrom]

The rest of this series is going to be a slugfest. Going to need him to lock down, injured or not, and throw some of his momentum changing hits.

Reset and get pissed off. Yesterday was one of the worst games I’ve ever seen him play but it’s a 1-1 series heading home.