It’s hard to imagine the Boston Bruins playing without Zdeno Chara. It’s rare for the captain to miss a game and seems nearly sickening for fans that he is going to miss anywhere between four to six weeks after he tore his PCL in his left knee.
Ever since “Big Z” came to the Bruins in 2006, Chara has only missed 20 games out of the 631 possible contests he could have played in. He only missed one game in the last three seasons.
Chara has been a warrior for the Bruins, towering higher than everyone on the ice. He has been an essential piece of the puzzle to the Bruins winning formula since he joined the B’s. His playing and leadership styles, big body, his demeanor, his terrifying slapshot, and his defensive skills have all been key for the Bruins’ success at the blue line.
Chara has been dependable and been counted on too many times by his teammates on and off the ice. He leads by example and is a huge part of the team. The Bruins will now have to be Chara-less for several weeks and that thought is petrifying for some.
The task of replacing him will be difficult and daunting, but possible. The Bruins have been in this type of situation before when they have lost key players such as Dennis Seidenberg. The entire team must step up their game during his absence, especially the defense.
Yes, losing Chara and also Kevan Miller this season creates a huge hole for Boston, but the Bruins have been a team known for battling adversity and overcoming obstacles.
The Bruins proved on Saturday night against the Toronto Maple Leafs that they could step up without Chara when they defeated the Leafs 4-1. They provided a full 60-minute effort in Toronto, starting from puck drop and continuing despite a four-goal lead.
Dougie Hamilton even made it look nearly easy without the Captain as he tallied two assists and a goal on the evening. His confidence seemed to bloom even more as he streaked up and down the ice. Hamilton led the rest of his defenders to create layers on the ice as they stymied the Leafs for the entire game.
The game against Toronto was just one game where the Bruins proved that they could put in the full 60-minute effort without Chara. More will have to follow in the next 4-6 weeks (and continue when Chara returns).
How will the Bruins look to keep excelling? They’ll need to focus on finding a similar type of consistency that they found during the game against the Leafs. They’ll have to take the same preparations. The Black and Gold will need to continue to have the entire team step up and have a solid offense paired with their defense.
Players other than Hamilton will be needed to find their game, in particular Adam McQuaid and Matt Bartkowski. Mistakes on the ice such as turnovers and worthless penalties need to be limited or erased completely. The offense will have to step up to and provide goals. Tuukka Rask will have to keep on being Tuukka and saving shots as he continues to get the Bruins 2 U’s, 2 K’s, and 2 points at every chance that they get.
The Bruins have proved through one game that they can step up. They now need to keep doing this. There’s a long road ahead for the B’s as they play without Chara and they have to fight it out for every win. The Bruins will have to go out and make their Captain proud as they play without him. If they do that and stay strong, the Bruins will have better chances of excelling through out the entire season.
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