Zdeno Chara’s Shootout Goal Earns Him Player of the Week
That's what Claude Julien did on Thursday night (or early Friday morning on the East Coast), and Zdeno Chara unleashed a Howitzer on Sharks netminder Evgeni Nabokov, who watched it dent the back of the net.
The goal, combined with Tim Thomas' stop at the other end, was enough to give the Bruins a well-earned 2-1 victory in San Jose, and it was enough for Chara to earn Arbella Player of the Week honors.
The captain has been one of the few rocks of the Bruins this year, with a new player going down to injury seemingly every other day. Without Marc Savard, Patrice Bergeron and David Krejci, there has been a lot of shuffling up front. The same can be said for the blue line, where Andrew Ference and Mark Stuart have missed a good chunk of time.
That's where Chara has been instrumental, in helping the Bruins remain afloat in the Eastern Conference. With a shorthanded squad, they simply can't contend for the best record in the NHL this year, but thanks to the efforts of the healthy players, they remain in good position for the playoffs.
This week, Chara scored a goal in the B's 4-3 loss in Anaheim, avenging a missed opportunity earlier in the game. He logged his standard 26:34 of ice time and was a plus-1 on the night, but it wasn't enough for the Bruins. On Thursday, he helped lead a depleted roster against the league's best team, and the B's came out on top. His shootout goal won't count toward the stats, but it gave the Bruins a much-needed point in a difficult place to get it.
