BOSTON — Bruins defenseman Zdeno Chara hasn’t been officially ruled out of Saturday night’s game against the Montreal Canadiens at TD Garden, but don’t be surprised if he’s not in the lineup.
B’s head coach Claude Julien said his captain is “doubtful” for the rivalry matchup. Chara suffered an upper body injury in the preseason and didn’t play in the regular-season opener Thursday against the Winnipeg Jets. Boston’s blue line struggled in his absence, giving up six goals.
Chara did take part in Saturday’s morning skate.
Based on the defensive pairings at morning skate, we could see rookie Colin Miller replace Zach Trotman and make his NHL debut against the Habs. Miller did not confirm if he’d be in the lineup, and neither did Julien.
Here are the pairings from morning skate.
Torey Krug-Adam McQuaid
Matt Irwin-Kevan Miller
Joe Morrow-Colin Miller
Zdeno Chara-Zach Trotman
Thumbnail photo via Kim Klement/USA TODAY Sports Images
