BOSTON — Zdeno Chara’s return to the Bruins lineup — which could happen Thursday night against the Chicago Blackhawks — will upgrade nearly every aspect of the team’s performance.
The B’s captain and No. 1 defenseman has practiced with his teammates for two consecutive days and took part in the team’s morning skate Thursday. The Bruins haven’t fared too poorly, going 11-7-1 without their best defenseman, but it’s still been a challenge.
“Throughout the whole month and a half that he was gone, there was definitely some adversity throughout that time,” Patrice Bergeron said at Thursday’s morning skate. “I think we’ve managed it pretty well, overall. We definitely had some ups and downs during that time, but it’s definitely going to give us a lift to have our captain back, if he is back (Thursday night), but he’s definitely going to be back soon. Just to have him in practice now and have a chance to be with him on the ice is great for all of us.”
One specific area that should tremendously improve when Chara returns is Boston’s special teams.
Boston is just 7-for-40 on the power play during his rehab. The B’s have missed his net-front presence, ability to win puck battles below the goal line and blast powerful slap shots from the point on power plays.
The B’s were scoreless with the man advantage (0-for-16) in a nine-game span from Nov. 15 through Dec. 4. The unit also has the fewest power-play chances of any team with 66, a number that should increase with Chara on the ice.
The penalty kill has been inconsistent with Chara — who averages a team-high 3:25 of short-handed ice time per game — unavailable to the first unit.
Overall, the Bruins have killed penalties at 78.2 percent success rate in Chara’s absence and the unit now ranks 22nd in the league at 78.4 percent. The B’s captain is consistently able to block shots, break up passes with his long reach and clear traffic from the front of the net whenever his team is shorthanded.
Boston’s special teams last season were a major factor in it winning the Presidents’ Trophy with the league’s best record. They were third-best on the power play, eighth-best on the penalty kill, and these units must return to similar levels if the Original Six club is to return to the Stanley Cup Final.
The Bruins therefore need the same high level of effort they have shown throughout Chara’s absence.
“I give a lot of credit to the team and all the guys for fighting for every game and for every point,” Chara said Tuesday. “It’s been very encouraging.
“It’s not easy when you have that many guys missing from the lineup and you see how every one of your teammates are battling, sacrificing and doing whatever they can to win games. I think the coaching staff did a great job trying to handle the situation as they did. Like I said, It was something that was very encouraging and motivating for me.”
Thumbnail photo via Winslow Townson/USA TODAY Sports Images
