If the choice is Zdeno Chara’s to make, he’s ready to go. The Boston Bruins big blue liner told media today he’s feeling much better and so is his jaw.
"Good for the most part...I feel ready to go. I want to play. I'm excited for tomorrow."
In fact, Chara stated he would have played last night if the team had let him.
“Of course, you want to play. But sometimes you have to listen to your body and the doctors. I think the decision was made for the right reasons. Today’s a new day and I’m getting ready, obviously, for tomorrow’s game.
Chara took a good right hand right from Yakov Trenin to his once-broken jaw during a fight earlier this week. There aren’t many players that can say they’ve made Chara’s knees buckle but a well-placed punch to an injury that was as bad as Chara’s was will do that, no matter how big and mean you are.
The Bruins' captain has missed just one game, last night’s 5-4 win over the Winnipeg Jets. It looks like the injury can’t be too serious if he’s practicing today and hoping to play Saturday night against the New York Islanders.
Great news for Boston. Chara doesn’t put up huge points but he’s a very important part of the team’s defensive depth, regardless. The 42-year-old is still averaging well over 20 minutes of ice-time per game this season, something that is not easily replaced.
