Boston's 68 points has them in the Eastern Conference's second wild card spot. Jan 13, 2026; Boston, Massachusetts, USA; Boston Bruins right-winger David Pastrnak (88) and defenseman Charlie McAvoy (73) talk during a stop in play during the second period of the game against the Detroit Red Wings at TD Garden. Mandatory Credit: Natalie Reid-Imagn Images

Charlie McAvoy a strong leader for underdog Bruins

Originally posted on Daily Faceoff | By Hunter Crowther | Last updated Mar 11, 2026 2:30 PM ET

The Boston Bruins defeated the Los Angeles Kings 2-1 in overtime Tuesday night, with Bruins’ defenseman Charlie McAvoy scoring the game-winning goal in OT.

Earlier in the game, McAvoy broke some of his top and bottom teeth, then returned to the game to score the OT winner.

After the game, the Bruins’ defenseman joked with reporters that he could only take so many questions because he had to “go get more dental work done.”

“You know, I wish the hits would stop coming. Honestly, just it’s tiring,” he said. “My mouth honestly can’t even feel worse, but I’ll get some work. We got a really good dentist here who’s great.”

McAvoy is missing more teeth and says the injuries piling up is getting exhausting:

"You guys get 2 questions, I have to go get more dental work done."

"You know, I wish the hits would stop coming. Honestly, just it's tiring. My mouth honestly can't even feel worse, but I'll… pic.twitter.com/q0f3fCtudV

— Bridgette Proulx (@bridgetteproulx) March 11, 2026

On Wednesday’s episode of Daily Faceoff LIVE, Tyler Yaremchuk and former NHL video coach Steve Peters discuss McAvoy’s big game and what he means to this Bruins squad.

Tyler Yaremchuk: McAvoy paid the price on Tuesday. He scored the OT-winner for the Bruins, and look at him after the game: He still did interviews, even though his face is absolutely mangled. He got smoked earlier in the hockey game, and it’s the second time has had to undergo some pretty nasty dental work.

The Bruins get a massive win last night. How important is McAvoy to this Bruins team?

Steve Peters: I think it shows in the statistics. First of all, offensively, he’s got points in 21 of 24 games, he’s 10 points away from his career high. For an offensive defenseman, that’s fantastic.

But what McAvoy does is he affects the game on all facets. He defends extremely well, he can be tough in the corners, he can be physical below the goal line, and this team goes as he goes. When we talk about the Bruins, a year ago

You can watch the full segment and the rest of the episode here…