Kukla's Korner Hockey
Entries with the tag: zdeno+chara
Chara Says He Feels Pretty Good
by Paul on 12/12/11 at 12:59 PM ET
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via the BostonHerald,
Bruins D-man Zdeno Chara is feeling better than expected, and may not be sidelined long with the suspected left knee sprain he suffered Saturday.
“Good, good, better than I expected,” said Chara, who disputed the idea that he will definitely miss one week. “The plan is to take it a day at a time. You can’t really put a time frame on it. It’s about how it feels, and it feels better than I expected. And then we go from there, see how it is tomorrow. You really know when you sleep on it, (see how it) the next day. So far, it’s been really good. It’s something I’m pleased with. There’s no time frame on when I might be back. Most likely I won’t be playing tomorrow, but that’s all I can tell you right now.”
Filed in: NHL Teams, Boston Bruins | KK Hockey | Permalink
Tags: Zdeno+Chara,
Report- Chara Will Miss At Least A Week
by Paul on 12/11/11 at 04:49 PM ET
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via Fluto Shinzawa of the Bruins Blog at the Boston Globe,
Zdeno Chara will most likely not be available for games this week against Los Angeles, Ottawa, and Philadelphia because of a leg injury, according to a source.
If his recovery goes well, Chara might be ready for the Bruins’ home game against Montreal on Dec. 19. Or the Bruins could opt to keep Chara out of uniform until after Christmas to give his injury more time to heal. The Bruins play at Phoenix on Dec. 28.
Filed in: NHL Teams, Boston Bruins | KK Hockey | Permalink
Tags: Zdeno+Chara,
Evening Line
by Paul on 10/18/11 at 11:07 PM ET
Comments (12)
“The guy’s 8 feet tall, and he’s jumping a player. That doesn’t translate as being very tough in my eyes. I’m emotional just like everybody else. When you see that happening to your own players, you wanna ... you know, I had some choice words, too, but it is what it is.”
-Cam Ward of the Carolina Hurricanes talking about Zdeno Chara jumping in on a scuffle in front of the Canes net. Watch that below and more from Ward by Mike Cole of NESN.
Filed in: NHL Teams, Boston Bruins, Carolina Hurricanes | KK Hockey | Permalink
Tags: Cam+Ward, Zdeno+Chara,
Chara Injured in Practice
by Alanah McGinley on 09/19/11 at 02:25 PM ET
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From Matt Kalman at NHL.com:
Boston Bruins captain Zdeno Chara left the scrimmage portion of his practice session early Monday during training camp at TD Garden after taking a shot off the inside of his left leg.
“Right now it’s a contusion and we’ll evaluate as we go along here,” Bruins coach Claude Julien said. “This is training camp and if he needs an extra day here, we’ll give him an extra day. If not, then he’ll be back on the ice tomorrow.”
Plus more on training camp in Boston today at the Boston Globe.
Filed in: NHL Teams, Boston Bruins | KK Hockey | Permalink
Tags: claude+julien, zdeno+chara,
Too Many Top Defensemen
by Ian Gooding on 08/26/11 at 08:00 AM ET
Comments (5)
If you think that determining who the top goalie will be for fantasy teams this season is tough, wait until you attempt to sift through the number of defensemen who have been at or near the top of the scoring race the past couple seasons. I attempted to narrow down this list to five defensemen, but I had waaaay too difficult a time with that. Plus I’d be subjecting myself to far too much criticism from the masses! (By the way, I love the comments… keep ‘em coming.)
Filed in: Fantasy Hockey and Gaming, thegoods13 | KK Hockey | Permalink
Tags: Dan+Boyle, defensemen, Drew+Doughty, Duncan+Keith, Dustin+Byfuglien, fantasy+hockey, Keith+Yandle, Lubomir+Visnovsky, Mike+Green, Nicklas+Lidstrom, Shea+Weber, Zdeno+Chara,
Chara Investigation Complete, On To The Next Step
by Paul on 08/10/11 at 12:31 PM ET
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from the CP at TSN,
A police investigation into Boston Bruins captain Zdeno Chara has been completed and the file has been transferred, as per standard procedure, to criminal prosecutors.
Now that the investigation’s over Crown lawyers must decide whether to lay charges over Chara’s devastating hit against Montreal Canadiens forward Max Pacioretty.
Filed in: | KK Hockey | Permalink
Tags: Zdeno+Chara,
Video- Bruins Appeared On Today Show This Morning
by Paul on 06/17/11 at 09:30 AM ET
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Geez, a full two minutes for Tim Thomas, Zdeno Chara and Patrice Begeron to talk about winning the Cup.
Wonder how much time they would get if the NHL wasn’t on NBC?
Visit msnbc.com for breaking news, world news, and news about the economy
Filed in: NHL Teams, Boston Bruins | KK Hockey | Permalink
Tags: Patrice+Bergeron, Tim+Thomas, Zdeno+Chara,
Will Chara Control Game 3?
by Paul on 06/05/11 at 07:10 PM ET
Comments (2)
from Scott Burnside of ESPN,
And so, two games into the 2011 Stanley Cup finals, we ask this question of Boston captain Zdeno Chara: mountain or rubble?
With the Bruins trailing 2-0 in their first Stanley Cup finals appearance since 1990, they face arguably the franchise’s most important game since they last won a Cup in 1972.
Lose in Monday night’s Game 3 and go down 3-0 against the Vancouver Canucks, and the series is over. Win, and the series script takes on a completely different tone.
This is not to suggest that Chara, the man who filled the Bruins’ captaincy when he signed as a free agent prior to the 2006-07 season, is required to take the entire Bruins squad on his mighty Slovak shoulders and single-handedly deliver victory. But surely it isn’t asking too much of the 6-foot-9 defenseman to lead by example, set a tone through his play and demeanor and inspire the rest of the Bruins.
He has the wherewithal and skill set to be that kind of player.
Filed in: NHL Teams, Boston Bruins, Vancouver Canucks | KK Hockey | Permalink
Tags: Zdeno+Chara,
Friday Bruins Transcript: Chara and Lucic
by Alanah McGinley on 06/03/11 at 05:32 PM ET
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Q. Everyone is talking about creating more traffic in front of Luongo there. You seem to present the size. How much more help do you need of guys getting in his face?
ZDENO CHARA: I think it’s got to be a commitment from everybody, be willing to do that job, not just on power-plays. Obviously, five-on-five, whatever situation that is.
Q. Z, can you talk about on the power-play screening the goaltender, talk about the specific skills besides blocking the view of the goalie?
ZDENO CHARA: I think it’s a combination of being aware of where the puck is, obviously you have to be in the right position. Really, it’s just basically having the right instinct, where your feel the puck’s going to be, kind of predict a little bit, too.
Filed in: NHL Teams, Boston Bruins, Vancouver Canucks, NHL Talk, NHL Playoff Talk | KK Hockey | Permalink
Tags: milan+lucic, zdeno+chara,
Boston Bruins Quotes Today
by Alanah McGinley on 05/30/11 at 02:44 PM ET
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A ton of quotes from the Boston Bruins today, including Claude Julien, Patrice Bergeron, Mark Recchi, Tim Thomas, Zdeno Chara and Dennis Seidenberg.
BOSTON BRUINS HEAD COACH CLAUDE JULIEN:
On if they are done celebrating the Game 7 win…
Well I think one thing that we were done celebrating was the next day. That night was an opportunity for us to enjoy the moment and rightfully so but next day it was about getting our rest. And we started working on things yesterday and so it’s preparation here for the, for what we feel is obviously the biggest part of the season coming up. So it’s sunk in. I mean it sunk in that we’re there. It also sunk in that we’re not done. We realize that there’s a lot of work ahead of us, probably the hardest games to win as you know will be against a team that kind of dominated the league this year. And we know we’re capable of doing it. We certainly don’t feel like we’re a team that is not capable of winning games against this team and we’re going to have to go out there and prove it. And that’s the thing that we want to do, is prove that we’re as good a team as they are and that’s where the challenge lies.
On how big a factor Tim Thomas’s experience will be in the Stanley Cup Final…
Filed in: NHL Teams, Boston Bruins, Vancouver Canucks | KK Hockey | Permalink
Tags: Claude+Julien, Dennis+Seidenberg, Mark+Recchi, Patrice+Bergeron, stanley+cup+finals, Tim+Thomas, Zdeno+Chara,
Chara Continues To Grow Into Leadership Position
by Paul on 05/30/11 at 07:54 AM ET
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from Joe Haggerty of CSNNE,
Zdeno Chara may finally be rounding into the leader everyone always wanted him to be.
That’s no knock on the 6-foot-9 defenseman and Bruins captain in his fifth year with the team, and his 13th year in the NHL, of course.
It’s more a nod to the demands that come along with wearing the ‘C’ on the Black and Gold sweater of the Spoked ‘B’ tribe, and the downright crazy expectations of a frothy fan base that hasn’t tasted from the Stanley Cup in 39 anguish-filled years.
Chara couldn’t just be a sterling leader by example or the hardest worker on the team as he’s always been during his All-Star, Norris Trophy caliber career with the Islanders, Senators and Bruins
Filed in: NHL Teams, Boston Bruins | KK Hockey | Permalink
Tags: Zdeno+Chara,
Want Fries With That?
by Alanah McGinley on 04/28/11 at 02:38 PM ET
Comments (4)
From last night, in case you missed it:
And Kurtenblog’s Twitter:
Filed in: NHL Teams, Boston Bruins | KK Hockey | Permalink
Tags: zdeno+chara,
Chara Looks Likely for Game 3
by Alanah McGinley on 04/18/11 at 12:58 PM ET
Comments (0)
From Arpon Basu at NHL.com:
Chara did not speak to the media after taking part in the entire skate, leading his teammates in the post-practice stretch, but Bruins coach Claude Julien suggested the chances his captain will play Monday night are strong.
“As of right now he’s looking good,” Julien said. “But I can’t stand here and say he’s definitely in.”
Filed in: NHL Teams, Boston Bruins, Montreal Canadiens | KK Hockey | Permalink
Tags: zdeno+chara,
Chara Suffering With Dehydration
by Paul on 04/16/11 at 08:38 AM ET
Comments (2)
from the Boston Herald,
Bruins captain Zdeno Chara was hospitalized for dehydration last night, two sources told the Herald, and as of this moment is still being evaluated by the Bruins’ medical staff.
Presented with the information, team spokesman Matt Chmura confirmed that Chara was hospitalized last night. Chmura would not speculate on Chara’s availability for tonight’s Game 2 against the Montreal Canadiens.
added 11:05am, via Elliotte Friedman tweet,
Julien:until our medical staff tells me he can’t go, Chara is in tonight
Filed in: NHL Teams, Boston Bruins | KK Hockey | Permalink
Tags: Zdeno+Chara,
Relax, Boston: Chara Won’t Be Detained in Canada
by Alanah McGinley on 04/14/11 at 06:05 PM ET
Comments (1)
From the CP via TSN:
“We’re still doing the investigation, but it’s going to be long,” said Sgt. Ian Lafreniere said Thursday.
Lafreniere said Chara doesn’t need to worry about being detained the minute he lands in Canada.
“It’s not the way we’re going to do things. We know who Mr. Chara is and we don’t have to apprehend him at customs.”
Some stories have surfaced out of Boston that Chara might face legal trouble in Canada, while others have indicated the case against the Bruins captain had been thrown out.
Filed in: NHL Teams, Boston Bruins, Montreal Canadiens | KK Hockey | Permalink
Tags: zdeno+chara,
Callahan Out with Broken Ankle
by Alanah McGinley on 04/05/11 at 01:13 PM ET
Comments (5)
From Jesse Spector at The Blueshirts Blog:
One more injury for the Rangers in this MASH unit regular season, and it’s a big one. Ryan Callahan is “out indefinitely” with a broken ankle, and John Tortorella called it a “long-term” issue after the winger blocked a Zdeno Chara slap shot late in the third period of last night’s 5-3 win over the Bruins at the Garden.
Callahan, who returned to the lineup on February 1 after breaking his hand blocking a Kris Letang shot on December 15 in Pittsburgh, will not need surgery.
Video below shows shot block which caused the injury:
Filed in: NHL Teams, Boston Bruins, New York Rangers | KK Hockey | Permalink
Tags: ryan+callahan, zdeno+chara,
Canes, Bolts Present Huge Tests for Each Other this Weekend (and a Quick Thought on Boston/Montreal)
by Jon Jordan on 03/25/11 at 09:15 AM ET
Comments (2)
For the Carolina Hurricanes, tonight’s game in Tampa against the Lightning, the first half of a home-and-home between the two clubs, is about picking up two points and doing their part to stay alive in the race for the eighth playoff spot in the Eastern Conference.
The ‘Canes trail eighth-place Buffalo by three points as each team prepares for its 74th game of the year tonight, with the Sabres hosting the Florida Panthers.
For the home squad, it’s about picking up the pieces and restoring whatever’s been lost of late. The Lightning have managed just a single regulation win this month and have seen their prolific offense dry up, averaging only 2.18 goals per game in March. Take out last Monday’s six-goal outburst in Toronto and that number shrinks below two – unfathomable, really, for a team that had averaged over three tallies per game not all that long ago.
Tampa Bay’s miserable March has included a quartet of losses to also-rans most recently, falling to Ottawa twice, Florida and the New York Islanders, but tonight, the Lightning will be forced to match the intensity level of a team still very much alive in the playoff race and combat the desperation that comes with so much on the line.
The Lightning aren’t in any real danger of missing the post-season – in fact, with a pair of regulation wins over Carolina tonight and tomorrow, they’ll close the book on that remote possibility outright – but, with their production having plummeted so severely these last few weeks, there’s no doubting the very real threat of an early playoff exit. With nine games remaining on the regular season docket, Tampa has some time to figure things out but, the worse this gets, the harder that will become, meaning the time to put an end to their current struggles is now.
Filed in: NHL Teams, Boston Bruins, Buffalo Sabres, Carolina Hurricanes, Montreal Canadiens, Tampa Bay Lightning | KK Hockey | Permalink
Tags: Dwayne+Roloson, Ryan+Malone, Steve+Downie, Steve+Yzerman, Zdeno+Chara,
What Do YOU Expect in Boston Tonight?
by Jon Jordan on 03/24/11 at 10:37 AM ET
Comments (7)
We’ve learned over the years not to expect much from so-called revenge games, like tonight’s Montreal/Boston showdown – the first meeting between the two since the ill-fated collision of Bruins defenseman Zdeno Chara, Canadiens forward Max Pacioretty and a poorly-placed, scarcely-padded stanchion.
You know, the hit that was either attempted murder on Chara’s behalf or a hockey play gone afoul, depending on who you ask?
You know, the hit that either concussed Pacioretty and fractured a vertebra in his neck or resulted in a little boo-boo, depending on whether or not Mark Recchi is asked his opinion?
Yeah, you know.
And, if you don’t, you’ve either been in a coma (or maybe just napping, according to Recchi?) or under a rock somewhere since the play in question went down a little more than two weeks ago.
Filed in: NHL Teams, Boston Bruins, Montreal Canadiens | KK Hockey | Permalink
Tags: David+Koci, Mark+Recchi, Max+Pacioretty, Zdeno+Chara,
Should Chara Face Criminal Prosecution?
by Paul on 03/10/11 at 09:29 AM ET
Comments (20)
via the CP at The Hockey News,
Quebec’s Director of Criminal and Penal Prosecutions has requested a police investigation into Boston Bruins captain Zdeno Chara over the hit that hospitalized Canadiens forward Max Pacioretty.
The agency has forwarded its recommendation to the provincial government’s Public Security department.
This does not mean there will be an investigation—much less an attempt to prosecute—but simply signals the first step in any such procedure.
The move comes after the National Hockey League declined to suspend Chara.
Filed in: NHL Teams, Boston Bruins | KK Hockey | Permalink
Tags: Zdeno+Chara,
No Punishment For Chara
by Paul on 03/09/11 at 03:28 PM ET
Comments (44)
via BostonBruins tweet,
The NHL has informed the Bruins that there will be no fine and no suspension for Chara
From the NHL:
TORONTO – National Hockey League Senior Vice President of Hockey Operations Mike Murphy today issued the following statement on Boston Bruins defenseman Zdeno Chara’s hit in NHL game #996 last night against the Montreal Canadiens:
“I conducted a hearing with Boston Bruins’ defenseman Zdeno Chara with respect to the major penalty for interference and game misconduct that he was assessed at 19:44 of the second period for a hit on Max Pacioretty of the Montreal Canadiens.
“After a thorough review of the video I can find no basis to impose supplemental discipline. This hit resulted from a play that evolved and then happened very quickly—with both players skating in the same direction and with Chara attempting to angle his opponent into the boards. I could not find any evidence to suggest that, beyond this being a correct call for interference, that Chara targeted the head of his opponent, left his feet or delivered the check in any other manner that could be deemed to be dangerous.
“This was a hockey play that resulted in an injury because of the player colliding with the stanchion and then the ice surface. In reviewing this play, I also took into consideration that Chara has not been involved in a supplemental discipline incident during his 13-year NHL career.”
Filed in: NHL Teams, Boston Bruins | KK Hockey | Permalink
Tags: Zdeno+Chara,
Canadiens React to the Chara Hit
by Alanah McGinley on 03/09/11 at 01:45 PM ET
Comments (9)
From Ken Campbell at The Hockey News:
“What people are upset in this room is that I guess he drove the elbow through the head with an intent to injure kind of thing,” Cammalleri said. “I don’t think Chara premeditated this, but from experience when a player gets under your skin for whatever reason, you remember it and you notice when he’s out there. You know whom you’re playing against. Especially a divisional opponent because you’re so familiar. You can almost tell by the movements of a player. There’s a lot of tells, from what brand of stick they’re using to how they tape it.”
Canadiens goalie Carey Price said the history between Chara and Pacioretty probably played a part. In a Jan. 8 game between the Canadiens and Bruins, Pacioretty scored in overtime, then shoved Chara out of the way, which was the genesis of the hard feelings between the two players.
“Well that’s the whole thing,” Price said. “They do kind of have a history and that adds fuel to the fire. The only person who knows is (Chara).”
Other Team Reactions:
Filed in: NHL Teams, Boston Bruins, Montreal Canadiens | KK Hockey | Permalink
Tags: max+pacioretty, zdeno+chara,
The NHL Is Walking A Very Fine Line
by Paul on 03/09/11 at 08:39 AM ET
Comments (1)
from Elliotte Friedman of CBC,
Thanks to the Twitterverse, reaction was instantaneous. Canadiens fans wanted Zdeno Chara arrested, while Bruins supporters dismissed it as a love tap (as usual, the most gutless were profane in their disagreement, secure in the knowledge they could safely slur over the Internet). People without Montreal or Boston logos in their avatars lacked any kind of consensus. And after watching several different replays many different times, I can’t say Chara deliberately tried to injure Pacioretty.
But that’s the NHL’s biggest problem right now. What’s made it better than ever has also made it more dangerous than ever.
Filed in: NHL Teams, Boston Bruins, Montreal Canadiens | KK Hockey | Permalink
Tags: Max+Pacioretty, Zdeno+Chara,
Following Up on the Chara Hit
by Alanah McGinley on 03/09/11 at 12:50 AM ET
Comments (24)
From Bob McKenzie at TSN:
To me, it looked as though Chara was compensating for potentially being beaten to the outside by Pacioretty and after the puck had been advanced up the ice, the big defenceman attempted to rub the Canadien winger into the boards.
But here’s the bottom line for me. Chara was rightfully assessed an interference penalty on the play. Because of the obvious injury, it was a five-minute major.
Certainly, if the partition weren’t there, it would have been no more than a two-minute minor for interference and there almost assuredly would have been no injury on the play. But the partition was there and, ultimately, Chara is responsible for the outcome. He made an illegal play that caused injury and even if there was an absence of malice, Chara is still responsible.
More here, with McKenzie’s prediction about suspension. (Video available on this earlier post, for anyone who missed it.)
Filed in: NHL Teams, Boston Bruins, Montreal Canadiens | KK Hockey | Permalink
Tags: max+pacioretty, zdeno+chara,
Video- Zdeno Chara Hit On Max Pacioretty
by Paul on 03/08/11 at 09:39 PM ET
Comments (40)
Chara received five for interference, a 10 and game misconduct.
The video is from the French feed for Montreal.
Update 9:45pm ET: via CKAC, Pacioretty was apparently conscious on the stretcher, while still on the ice.
Update 9:49pm ET:: via Francois Gagnon on Twitter—
#Habs le transport de pacioretty vers l’hopital se veut d’abord et avant tout une mesure préventive…
(Translates roughly that Pacioretty is being transported to the hospital, intended first and foremost as a preventative measure…)
Update 9:59pm ET: more tweets from Francois Gagnon (These translated via Google) -
Habs # Crusader as it exits the locker room, the CEO Pierre Gauthier was still angry, but seemed relieved by the positive news
and
NHL should impose a minimum of 10 games. unless Bettman still talking about bad luck ...
More video below…
Filed in: NHL Teams, Boston Bruins, Montreal Canadiens | KK Hockey | Permalink
Tags: Max+Pacioretty, Zdeno+Chara,
Video- Chara Tosses His Hat
by Paul on 01/17/11 at 05:16 PM ET
Comments (2)
via Joe Haggerty tweet,
Zdeno Chara said he got idea for hat-tossing pantomime after his hat trick from Peter Bondra, and always hoped he’d be able to do it someday
Chara’s hat toss starts at the 1:50 mark of the video.
Filed in: NHL Teams, Boston Bruins | KK Hockey | Permalink
Tags: Zdeno+Chara,
Chara Goes Quiet
by Paul on 01/09/11 at 09:35 AM ET
Comments (1)
from Joe Haggerty of CSNNE,
Chara was also out on the ice for all three of Montreal’s goals in the final few minutes of the third period and the overtime session, and he clearly had some explaining to do.
Chara’s icing attempt at an empty-net goal with Carey Price yanked from the Montreal net turned out be a big play in the game: it forced a face-off in Boston’s defensive zone with their fourth line on the ice when it missed wide of the net by a mere four inches.
That sequence of events perfectly set up Brian Gionta’s game-tying goal second later after a James Wisniewski point shot bounced off both Tim Thomas’ skate and Gionta’s skate before skidding by the stunned B’s goaltender.
Chara was his usual solid Slovakian presence throughout the game, and the B’s Captain went cuckoo for Cocoa Puffs after the game was over.
more plus watch Chara go ‘cuckoo’ below…
Filed in: NHL Teams, Boston Bruins, Montreal Canadiens | KK Hockey | Permalink
Tags: Zdeno+Chara,
Is Chara An Elite Defenseman?
by Paul on 12/03/10 at 11:13 AM ET
Comments (16)
Adam Proteau of The Hockey News answers some email…
Why is Zdeno Chara always talked about as one of the NHL’s top defensemen? When the Bruins gave him a seven-year extension this year, I had to shake my head.
Sure, he’s got a heck of a reach and a blistering shot, but it seems like (a) he’s always getting burned at the blueline by small, agile skaters (like Martin St-Louis); (b) his shots are never on net; (c) he turns the puck over every time he takes more than two strides with it; and (d) he’s always taking mental-mistake penalties at the worst times….
Certainly, there are people in the hockey industry who feel as you do, but I’m not one of them. Which isn’t to say I put Chara at or near the top of my Norris ballot each year – in fact, he wasn’t in my top five last season.
That said, the guy averages two more minutes of ice time than any other Bruins skater; has missed an average of just five games in each of the past eight seasons; currently is tied for second on the team in plus-minus (at plus-13); and, since he was traded from the Islanders organization in 2001, has been a plus-156 in 639 regular season games.
That may not qualify him for Hall of Fame status, but in today’s NHL, Chara’s skill set is more valuable than you imply….
more Q & A inlcuding Detroit trading Jiri Hudler and a pick for Martin Brodeur….
Filed in: NHL Teams, Boston Bruins | KK Hockey | Permalink
Tags: Zdeno+Chara,
Can Chara Be A Head Shot Recipient?
by Paul on 11/10/10 at 09:38 AM ET
Comments (2)
from Matt Kalman of The Bruins Blog,
“As far as my height, maybe I’m a taller guy, my head isn’t in a danger zone, knock on wood,” Chara told TheBruinsBlog.net during a chat about Rule 48 Tuesday after his team’s practice. “But at the same time, you’d be surprised how many times I go to hit guys and I run into them with their heads. That happened the other night when I went to hit [St. Louis’ T.J.] Oshie in the corner. I went to hit him, he leaned in, and boom I got it right in the chin. I fell down because that knocked me down. So people don’t see it, but when you go and hit smaller guys and they lean … I got it right on my chin, I went down. It’s one of those things that sometimes the height is not always an advantage.”
No one has sympathy for Goliath, so Chara will have to deal with the blows to his chin if he’s going to keep playing the game as hard as he always has and do it with his patented combination of physicality and intimidation. So far this season, it doesn’t appear that Chara’s playing with any less force than in the past.
However, it seems that Chara has slightly (and somewhat undetectably) altered his approach by playing with his edge, but doing so smartly, in light of Rule 48.
Filed in: NHL Teams, Boston Bruins | KK Hockey | Permalink
Tags: Zdeno+Chara,
Report- Chara And Bruins Will Finalize New Contract
by Paul on 10/09/10 at 08:38 AM ET
Comments (0)
from Kevin Paul Dupont of Bruins Blog at the Boston Globe,
This was a homecoming for Zdeno Chara. Turns out, it was a very lucrative return to the city where Big Z really got his hockey career started as a teenager, playing for Sparta Praha in the spring of ‘96.
Chara, the 33-year-old Bruins’ captain, in the next few hours will finalize a long-term contract extension with the Bruins, one that is believed to expire on or about his 40th birthday.
Contract terms have not been released by the Bruins, but based on a conversation just minutes ago with his Wellesley-based agent, Matt Keator, Chara today will ink a six- or seven-year deal that probably will bring him slightly less than his existing deal, which this season will pay him $7.5 million.
added 11:11am,
PRAGUE, CZE – Boston Bruins General Manager Peter Chiarelli announced today that the club has signed defenseman Zdeno Chara to a seven-year contract extension through the 2018-19 season. Per club policy, financial terms of the deal will not be disclosed.
Filed in: NHL Teams, Boston Bruins | KK Hockey | Permalink
Tags: Zdeno+Chara,
Chara Wants A Long-Term Deal
by Paul on 10/01/10 at 08:38 AM ET
Comments (0)
from Joe Haggerty of CSNNE,
Chara is ideally looking for something that would allow him to play until the age of 45, but that would mean an 11-year deal for the Slovakian defenseman. A lengthy contract like that is not exactly an easy sell to the NHL after an arbitrator roundly rejected the Ilya Kovalchuk contract – a deal based on the assumption that NHL players can continue skating in the NHL well north of their 40th birthday.
Whether a new contract would take Chara through that length or would simply be another deal similar to the five-year contract he originally signed with Boston, the B’s defenseman said there a few more days before his season-opening deadline comes into play.
“We’re not on the exact same track,” said Chara of contract talks. “But we’re talking and we’ll see how it goes. Obviously I don’t want to have it bother me during the season, so we have a few days left.”
Filed in: NHL Teams, Boston Bruins | KK Hockey | Permalink
Tags: Zdeno+Chara,
Chara Wants To Play Like Lidstrom
by Paul on 08/15/10 at 06:49 AM ET
Comments (0)
from Fluto Shinzawa of the Boston Globe,
• But just as a current contract is undergoing scrutiny, Bloch’s decision is affecting a future deal: the pending extension for Zdeno Chara. The 33-year-old defenseman is entering the final season of his contract, and while nobody expected Kovalchuk to be lacing up his skates at age 43, it wouldn’t be surprising to see Chara still in uniform in his 40s. Chara, who once relied strictly on brawn and intimidation, has already begun his transition into a Nicklas Lidstrom-type defenseman with an emphasis on positioning, smarts, and stick skills….
• While Philadelphia and San Jose are most likely in the mix for Antti Niemi, the Cup-winning goalie cut loose by the Blackhawks, don’t rule out Washington. General manager George McPhee has been telling other GMs he’s committed to youngsters Semyon Varlamov and Michal Neuvirth, both on their entry-level deals. But with plenty of cap space and arguably the league’s best offensive duo in Alex Ovechkin and Nicklas Backstrom in their sweet spots, it’s risky to lean on two young goalies.
more hockey talk…
Filed in: NHL Teams, Boston Bruins | KK Hockey | Permalink
Tags: Zdeno+Chara,
NHL Will Be Reviewing This
by Paul on 04/23/10 at 10:17 PM ET
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Zdeno Chara with an instigator penalty along with additional minutes.
This all took place with less than a second to go in the game tonight.
Rule states an automatic suspension for instigator within the last five minutes of the 3rd period, but NHL can review and make the final decision.
added 11:59pm, via Joe McDonald of ESPN Boston,
“I think if you do something like that you risk, and it’s a serious risk, of an instigator,” said Ruff. “You come in and start throwing punches, I think [the league] needs to take a hard look. Anything in the last five minutes is stupid to do. I like the fact that we had one guy grabbing [Chara] by the knees, one guy grabbing him around the waist and another guy grabbing him around the neck and the big man went down.”
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Tags: Zdeno+Chara,
Chara Will Play With Broken Nose
by Paul on 04/06/10 at 01:10 PM ET
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from Brendan Hall of Bruins Blog at the Boston Globe,
Bruins head coach Claude Julien confirmed that Zdeno Chara suffered a broken nose in last night’s 3-2 overtime loss at Washington, but should not be out of the lineup for Thursday’s home game against Buffalo.
Chara was not in the building for this afternoon’s brief optional practice at Ristuccia Arena.
“He’s getting it fixed, but it should be no issue, though,” Julien said.
Chara injured his nose in the second period last night, when Alexander Semin clipped the 6-foot-9 defenseman and captain with his stick, drawing blood. Chara returned to the bench later in the period. There was no penalty given to Semin.
continue for more on the Bruins…
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Tags: Zdeno+Chara,
Why Does Otttawa Boo Chara?
by Paul on 12/22/09 at 07:18 AM ET
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via James Gordon of Hockey Capital,
I’ve always found it odd that Senators fans boo Bruins defenceman Zdeno Chara every time he touches the puck in this rink, and apparently Big Z does too. Here’s what he had to say following his current team’s 2-0 win over his former team:
“I don’t know. I can’t really control what the fans are doing, if they’re booing me or not. I played hard when I played for Ottawa, I always did my best and the organization, at that time, chose Wade Redden and I was fine with that and I had to move on. So when they decided to sign Wade instead of me, I had to move on and obviously management back then — John Muckler and company — they made it look like I went for the money, but that wasn’t the case. Basically I liked my chances and options that I had in Boston and that’s why I chose Boston and I still believe in that and it’s just too bad that they made it look, to the fans and to the public, like I went for the money.”
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Tags: Zdeno+Chara,
Morning Line
by Paul on 05/09/09 at 08:39 AM ET
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I’m not a different player. I’m battling hard. I’m playing hard. I’m giving my 100 percent every game. Mistakes, sometimes they do happen. And obviously I believe I’m making more strong plays and good plays than bad plays. I really don’t know how to explain it.
“I realize the responsibility I have, I’m one of the leaders. I’m the captain. I do take it to heart. At the same time, today’s today and tomorrow’s a new day. We have to somehow regroup and find the energy to go into the next game and win it. It’s as simple as that.”
-Zdeno Chara of the Boston Bruins after losing to the Hurricanes last night. More from Chara by Steve Buckley of the Boston Herald.
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Chara Is Your Norris Trophy Winner
by Paul on 03/29/09 at 08:00 AM ET
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from Mike Zeisberger of the Toronto Sun,
If anyone can grapple the Norris Trophy from the clutches of multiple winner Nicklas Lidstrom of the Red Wings, it is Chara.
The numbers speak for themselves. His 16 goals rank him among the league leaders for defencemen. His plus-24 is one of the best totals in the NHL.
Yes, the Washington Capitals’ Mike Green is having an outstanding offensive season with 28 goals. And yes, the likes of Lidstrom, Andrei Markov, Dan Boyle, Brian Rafalski and Shea Weber, just to mention a few, certainly deserve consideration.
Where Chara separates himself from the others is the ability to use his towering frame to completely smother opposing snipers, a quality his coach very much appreciates.
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Tags: Zdeno+Chara,
Parise Sees A Lot Of Chara
by Paul on 03/22/09 at 07:12 PM ET
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from Tom Gulitti of Fire & Ice,
“Going into the game, we knew we were going to be seeing a lot of him (Chara), our line was,” Parise said. “A few times, we were able to get in there, but I think we’ve got to do a better job against him. We have played well against him before in the last couple of games, but tonight we couldn’t get much going.”
Devils coach Brent Sutter said it’s up to Parise to fight through that sort of thing and not his teammates to protect him.
“Every time someone gets touched, it’s a big deal because someone gets touched,” Sutter said. “Your best players have to play through some things too. This time of the season and come playoffs, you’re going to have to take punches to the head for the benefit of the team. Did he intimidate us? He certainly didn’t intimidate us out there. He’s a competitor and Zach has to learn to play through stuff too. That’s part of being a good player. You’ve got to play through some things maybe you don’t like. You have to fight through it. I’m not saying he doesn’t. I’m just saying that every time someone gets hit in a game doesn’t mean you have to respond or a positive or negative way either. We know how to handle that. It’s not like we don’t know how to handle these things.”
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Tags: Zach+Parise, Zdeno+Chara,
Chara Reaching New Heights
by Paul on 02/25/09 at 08:10 AM ET
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from Larry Wigge of NHL.com,
There are no more growing pains for Zdeno Chara.
The 6-foot-9, 255-pound defenseman from Trencin, Slovakia, hasn’t had a major growth spurt since he was 17—shortly after he grew six inches in a two-year span. He no longer has to hear coaches tell him maybe he should try basketball or some other sport. He’s no longer a big joke to some teammates, who watched him clumsily skate around the rink and laughed behind his back.
No, when Chara turned 22, the rest of his body caught up with his height, a development for which the Boston Bruins are eternally grateful. Now, equipment comes custom made for Chara. He no longer plays with skates held together by tape, glue and screws. Nor does he have trainers sew extra material from old sweaters onto the bottom of his jersey to cover his hockey pants.
“I wasn’t supposed to make it. I was too tall, too awkward, too everything,” Chara said. “I couldn’t make anyone in Slovakia believe I could play ... so I had to leave home.”
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Ovechkin & Chara Discuss The SuperSkills
by Paul on 01/24/09 at 10:21 PM ET
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Q. Alex, where did you get the idea to do the hat and the glasses?
ALEX OVECHKIN: Well, it was last night. I talked actually with Nate about it, and I said it’s going to be fun, and you have to try it.
Q. Can you just comment on, it seems like you really enjoy the spotlight and playing up to the crowd. Do you think hockey needs a little bit more of that?
ALEX OVECHKIN: Well, I think, you know, fans have to see how we are, who we are, you know. They see our skills and, I think the last trick like was just for fun. I think fans love it.
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Tags: Alexander+Ovechkin, All-Star+Game, Zdeno+Chara,
Fighting Lessons From Zdeno Chara
by Alanah McGinley on 10/30/08 at 03:44 PM ET
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From Ron Spence at Crashing the Goalie,
What’s he learned the most about fighting in the NHL?
“The most important thing is to know what kind of fighter you’re fighting. It’s a good thing to know before you fight, if he likes to fight in tight, if he’s a righty, lefty, or both….”
So, he’s a student of the hockey fighters?
“Oh yeah, you get to know the people,” he nods. “You know when I watch for a couple of minutes, you get to know how they fight.”
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Tags: fighting, zdeno+chara,
The Kilimanjaro Trek Is Complete
by Paul on 07/19/08 at 08:24 AM ET
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from Rob Simpson at the Bruins website,
As we neared the National Park gate and the village of Marangu, we came across small children and later women, who came up from the village to essenitally beg. A German couple walking ahead of me stopped and gave a boy a dollar for a flower he had picked and was selling. The others simply asked for money, clothes, whatever you could spare.
It was a sudden reality check for us, after six days on a mountain, and should remind everyone of the importance of Right to Play’s mission.
Once over the final few steps, and back at the National Park gathering area, we bid farewell to our porters, tipped them (a bit more generously than they were used to) much to their appreciation, and gave them some of our gear.
Chara gave away practically everything he had taken up on the mountain.
You’d think they’d won the lottery. They applauded enthusiastically when Aloyce read out the tips. He, his assistant, the cook, and the three porters who toted the TV gear all the way to the summit earned extra.
“These people can use everything they can get, and if I had more stuff, I’d give that to them as well,” Zdeno stated.
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Mountain Hiking With Chara
by Paul on 07/17/08 at 09:01 AM ET
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from Rob Simpson at BostonBruins.com,
Trekking with Zdeno – Day 4
Three hours of sleep on night 3 and a relatively flat day ahead: Things were looking up.
It was time to cross the “saddle”, the seven-mile plateau-like ridge between Mawenzi and our ultimate destination, Kibo, the volcano that sat within the snow-capped summit of Kilimanjaro.
continued and you can read the previous day journals there too…
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Tags: Zdeno+Chara,
Playing With The Kids
by Paul on 07/10/08 at 06:32 AM ET
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from Scott Cruickshank of the Calgary Herald,
To have hockey-playing giants show up in their villages must have been stunning for kids in Mozambique.
Last month’s encounters were no less eye-opening for said giants—Robyn Regehr and Zdeno Chara.
The National Hockey League players’ one-week tour through the nation on Africa’s southeast coast—on behalf of Right To Play (motto: “Creating a healthier and safer world for children through the power of sport and play’‘)—provided more than a few stunning moments.
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Tags: Robyn+Regehr, Zdeno+Chara,
Chara Facing Three More Months Rehab
by Alanah McGinley on 06/12/08 at 10:48 AM ET
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From Steve Conroy at the Boston Herald,
Coming off left shoulder surgery six weeks ago to repair a torn labrum, Chara finally shed his sling a week ago and started his rehabilitation.
He’s doing daily range-of-motion exercises, and it’s estimated that he faces three more months of rehab, which would take him into September and the start of training camp. He couldn’t guarantee that he’d be ready from the get-go, but it shouldn’t be too long after that if he isn’t.
“We’ll have to see how the rehab goes, but it should be right for the start of training camp,” Chara said. “But we’ll see”
read on for more news on the Norris Trophy candidate
In other Bruins news, team owner Jeremy Jacobs and his wife gave a substantial charitable gift to the University of Buffalo this week: $10 million.
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Tags: jeremy+jacobs, zdeno+chara,
Join Chara on Kilimanjaro
by Alanah McGinley on 05/26/08 at 11:42 AM ET
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From Brian Costello at The Hockey News,
The Boston Bruins defenseman will be climbing Africa’s Mount Kilimanjaro the first week of July for the humanitarian organization Right To Play. And he’s leaving open a spot on his climbing team to be taken up by the highest bidder in an eBay auction. Check it out now at [eBay] and you might turn out to be his lucky climbing partner. Bidding ends on Thursday.
Chara is challenging hockey fans everywhere to raise $5 for every foot he climbs in support of his fundraising goal of $100,000 for Right to Play programs. Kili rises 19,340 feet off the plains of Tanzania. All proceeds from the eBay auction to join Chara benefits Right To Play, which uses sport programs to aid the development of children and youth in underprivileged areas of the world.
Having been fortunate enough to climb Kilimanjaro with my wife in 2001, I have two words of advice for Chara and his climbing partners: Poli, poli. That’s Swahili for ‘slow, slow.’
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Tags: charity, mount+kilimanjaro, zdeno+chara,
Feel The Pain
by Paul on 05/18/08 at 07:15 AM ET
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If there were any question about Zdeno Chara’s toughness, this should settle it: The towering defenseman considered not having anesthesia when undergoing recent shoulder surgery to repair a torn left labrum. “True story,” said his agent, Matt Keator. “That’s Z, right there. He cares about his body, like no one I know, and he doesn’t want to do anything that could compromise it. He asked if he could go without it, and he would have done it, but the doctors convinced him it was better to have it.
more NHL bits from Kevin Paul Dupont of the Boston Globe…
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Chara A Marked Man
by Paul on 04/12/08 at 06:35 AM ET
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from Mike Zeisberger of the Toronto Sun,
The Canadiens are not hiding the fact that Chara is a marked man. Pancaked early in the game by the Habs hard-charging duo of Tom Kotsopoulos and Steve Begin, Chara did not look anything like the Norris Trophy candidate who was dominant at times during the regular season.
During the Hockey Night in Canada broadcast of the opener, there was speculation that Chara still might be nursing a nagging shoulder injury. Confronted with that idea yesterday, the hulking defenceman deflected away the suggestion with the same ease that Habs goalie Carey Price deflects away shots.
“That’s gone now,” he told the first wave of reporters when asked about a potential ailment. “Everything’s fine.”
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Chara Returns & Chases The Spin
by Paul on 03/21/08 at 07:03 AM ET
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from the Boston Globe,
Chara looked the same. He used his reach to fish loose pucks out of trouble spots and leaned on opponents with his big frame. He was even booed by the large Montreal contingent in attendance.
For the most part, his return went as planned. Until Alex Kovalev hopped over the boards.
The Montreal dynamo ruined Chara’s return - and the Bruins’ night - with two goals and an assist, all against the tandem of Chara and Wideman.
more...
Watch the spin move Kovalev put on Chara…
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Tags: Alexei+Kovalev, Zdeno+Chara,
Chara Out A Short Time
by Paul on 03/09/08 at 05:16 PM ET
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from the Bruins Blog at the Boston Globe,
According to Bruins coach Claude Julien, Chara also might have to sit out Tuesday night’s game in Ottawa against the Senators.
“He’ll be out a short time,” said Julien, who did not identify the
nature of Chara’s injury. “It’s minor. He’s out [today] and possibly in Ottawa, too.”Chara appeared to hurt a shoulder in the second period of Saturday’s Garden matinee against the Capitals but returned to play effectively in the third period.
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Tags: Zdeno+Chara,
Senators Must Deal With Chara
by Paul on 12/18/07 at 06:48 AM ET
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from the Ottawa Sun,
Now that he gets to a podium every day, Paddock takes any and all opportunities to sing the Big Zee’s praises. And yesterday, with his team about to fly off to face Chara and the rejuvenated Bruins, a chance to belt out a new chorus presented itself.
Paddock pointed out the B’s had “no defensive structure” last season, Chara’s first in Beantown since losing to Redden in the Which One Do We Keep sweepstakes the John Muckler regime held in Ottawa.
“As wonderful a defensive player as he is, Zee couldn’t do it by himself,” Paddock said, adding that under Claude Julien’s coaching, Chara is “back to being the type of player he was with us.”
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