Charlie McAvoy scored 39 seconds into overtime to give Boston a 2-1 victory over the Los Angeles Kings, extending the Bruins’ home winning streak to 13 games. The defenseman accomplished this feat with a bloodied mouth and missing several teeth after taking a hit into the glass during the second period.
“Then I have to go get more dental work,” the U.S. Olympian told reporters after his game-winning goal, his lip swollen and mouth bleeding where his lower front teeth should have been.
McAvoy broke his front teeth and lost more bottom teeth tonight but came back and scored the Bruins’ game-winning goal in overtime. pic.twitter.com/VBsUnjG9WE
— Bridgette Proulx (@bridgetteproulx) March 11, 2026
The nine-year NHL veteran has endured a season of dental problems. He missed almost a month after getting hit in the mouth by a slap shot in November. McAvoy wore a face shield when he returned but wasn’t wearing one when he took another puck to the face against Nashville last week.
Tuesday’s injury happened with about seven minutes left in the second period when Kings center Samuel Helenius hit him into the glass.
“I just wish the hits would stop coming, honestly,” McAvoy said. “You know, it’s tiring. My mouth, honestly, couldn’t feel worse. But I’ll get some work. We’ve got a really good dentist here, who’s great. I’m really happy we got two points tonight.”
McAvoy left for the locker room but returned at the start of the third period.
“I thought he wouldn’t come back,” Bruins coach Marco Sturm said. “He’s not getting prettier, that’s for sure.”
Sturm revealed that McAvoy apologized for playing poorly in the first period. But the defenseman found himself in the right spot during overtime when Mark Kastelic made a long pass to David Pastrnak, who fed the puck to McAvoy as he entered the zone.
McAvoy made a move to his backhand for the goal.
“He wasn’t that good before the hit,” Sturm said. “But what do you want me to say? This kid just scored the game-winner.”
Leadership Questions
The Bruins are playing without a captain after losing longtime leaders. Zdeno Chara departed, followed by his successors Patrice Bergeron and Brad Marchand. McAvoy serves as an alternate captain alongside Hampus Lindholm and Pastrnak.
McAvoy’s toughness could earn him a promotion to captain.
“Those are the guys you need in a locker room,” Sturm said. “The guy next to him, he’s going to look over and ask ‘OK, is he going to battle through it or not?’ If you sit across from him, and if you’re a young guy, to see that, you say ‘I don’t want to be the guy who’s going to quit.'”
The victory helped Boston maintain its playoff position as the team continues its impressive home winning streak.
