The Boston Bruins (probably) will be tasked with winning a game without Zdeno Chara on Thursday night. It’s not an unfamiliar situation for the Black and Gold.
Chara played in only 62 games this season, meaning he missed 20 regular-season contests. He also sat out Game 4 of the Eastern Conference Final. The Bruins have been here before, and it’s likely they’ll be there again Thursday in Game 5 of the Stanley Cup Final, which Chara might (likely will?) miss with a reported broken jaw.
Playing without their star players has become something of a hallmark for Bruce Cassidy’s club on this run to the Cup Final. All-Stars Patrice Bergeron and David Pastrnak missed a combined 33 games this season. Charlie McAvoy, who was suspended for Game 4 of the second-round series vs. the Columbus Blue Jackets, played in just 54 regular-season games. Torey Krug played in 64.
At practically every point of the entire season, the Bruins have been without a key player, and here they are, two games away from the Stanley Cup. Having to win it without their captain is just the latest hurdle they’ll attempt to clear in an adversity-filled season.
“Our mentality will be fine in terms of being able to win without certain players now if we’re talking about Z because we’ve been there, we’ve done it,” Cassidy told reporters after the Bruins practiced Wednesday in Boston. “We’ve done it without Bergy this year, we’ve done it without different guys. I think our guys get good that way, knowing the team will pull together. It’s just tough when you lose your captain, (who) plays some big minutes, in this particular series against a heavier team — that’s where you miss the actual what he brings to the table. In terms of mentality, I think this team will be OK.”
Cassidy said there was “hope” that if Chara misses Game 5, he might be able to return for Games 6 and/or 7. At this point of the season, and with Chara dealing with such a serious injury, it’s really impossible to know. But until No. 33 is back in the Boston lineup, Cassidy knows he needs his players to step up and carry a little more — just not too much.
“I think our guys internally, I’m sure Charlie (McAvoy) will tell you, he’s gonna put some of this on himself to be better now,” Cassidy said. “He knows he doesn’t have his big brother back there so he’s gotta step up and right on down the line. … I think they take it upon themselves as well, which (they’re) high-character guys.”
It will be hard to replace Chara’s leadership, but to offset the tangible loss of what Chara brings to the table, the Bruins will be expected to improve in other areas of the game.
“They know that more is required — not a lot. I think if everyone does a little bit more, not just one particular player, that’s what we’re trying to avoid — that one guy goes in and says I gotta be a hero — I think it falls on the whole team,” Cassidy explained. “You lose a little team defense, well maybe you’ve gotta create more offense to balance that out. You’ve gotta guy who kills penalties well (out), so you have to stay a little more disciplined. Down the line, how can you make up for what he brings without one guy going in?
“I think our team’s good at that. We sustained throughout the year losing guys because of that mentality. We didn’t just ask one guy to make up for Patrice Bergeron’s loss or whoever.”
