The Bruins' star placed the blame for his and the team’s downfall squarely on the 4 Nations Face-Off tournament, where he suffered a season-ending shoulder injury that led to hospitalization, which led to Boston being left out of the playoffs for the first time since 2016.

After suffering a shoulder injury and infection during the 4 Nations Face-Off, Charlie McAvoy reflected on the toll over the last two months.

BOSTON -- It all started the morning of Feb. 16, when the United States team for the 4 Nations Face-Off finally made it to Boston from Montreal through a major snowstorm. They sat on the runway for what felt like forever, had gotten in around 6 a.m.