Team USA’s defense took a hit Monday as Charlie McAvoy will sit out against Sweden with an upper-body injury that could keep him sidelined for Thursday’s championship showdown with Canada.
The news gets worse for American fans. According to Ty Anderson of 98.5 The Sports Hub, McAvoy’s status for the title game is now up in the air.
It’s a tough break for Team USA. McAvoy was a force in their first meeting with Canada, throwing five bone-crushing hits in just under 20 minutes of ice time. One of those hits on Connor McDavid completely changed the game’s momentum.
Jake Sanderson from the Ottawa Senators will step in to fill McAvoy’s spot. While he’s got the offensive skills to help out, he doesn’t bring quite the same physical presence that makes McAvoy such a nightmare for opponents.
The bigger worry might be what this means for the Boston Bruins.
There’s no timeline yet for McAvoy’s recovery, but missing a full week of hockey isn’t a great sign. The Bruins are in a tight spot right now – they’re sitting just one point out of the last playoff spot in the East, but they’ve played two more games than the Detroit Red Wings who are ahead of them.
Losing their top defenseman for any length of time could really hurt Boston’s playoff chances. While there’s still plenty of hockey left to play, the Bruins need all hands on deck for their playoff push.
The team hasn’t said anything official about McAvoy missing regular season time, but you can bet Bruins fans will be watching this situation closely.
