Regardless of result, everyone knew there would be one very weird sight at the end of the Boston Bruins-Washington Capitals playoff series: Zdeno Chara shaking hands with his former teammates.
And, yep, it was bizarre.
The Bruins finished the series off Sunday night with a 3-1 win in Game 5, and now they'll move on to the second round to face either the New York Islanders or Pittsburgh Penguins.
Right after the final horn sounded, the two sides hit the ice to shake hands. For the Bruins, it didn't offer much time to chat with the former captain.
"It was a quick hello, basically," Bruins head coach Bruce Cassidy said over Zoom. "That's not the time (for an involved conversation). I'm sure I'll have an opportunity to talk to Z about the series (later on)."
Added Tuukka Rask: "It's normal. It didn't feel anything special. It's just saying good job, and that's it. It's after a game, so there's not too many words exchanged there. So, it was normal."
David Pastrnak admitted that moment was a little emotional for him.
"Zdeno, he's a guy that helped me grow up as a person, and especially (taught me) how to be a pro," the winger said. "So, it was a little emotional, but can't wait to catch up and I hope to see him back home at the end of this. The emotions were high and I can't thank him enough."
The Capitals did not make Chara available to the media after the game, so we'll have to wait in order to hear his take.
