Derek Stepan knows a thing or two about jaw injuries.
The Arizona Coyotes center fractured his jaw during the Eastern Conference Final while he was with the New York Rangers in 2014. He missed Game 4, but suited up for Game 5 and scored twice against the Montreal Canadiens.
The Rangers advanced to the Stanley Cup Final but ultimately lost to the Los Angeles Kings, but he likely can relate to how Zdeno Chara is feeling.
The Bruins captain left in the second period of Boston’s Stanley Cup Final Game 4 against the St. Louis Blues on Monday night after taking a puck to the face. Chara returned to the bench for the third, but did not log any minutes in the final period. Multiple reports surfaced the 42-year-old suffered a broken jaw on the play, but head coach Bruce Cassidy said Wednesday they’d know more on Chara’s prognosis before Game 5’s puck drop Thursday night.
Regardless, Stepan has no doubt Chara will be OK.
“It was that time of the year, you just find a way to get it done,” Stepan told Sportsnet’s Chris Johnston. “You put your skates on and you do everything you can to help.
“I think (Chara) will be just fine. He’s a pretty tough dude,” he added. “He’s a lot tougher than me, so if I can do it, he’ll probably do it with ease.”
