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Zdeno Chara News & Rumors

Chara, Karlsson and Weber are Norris finalists
April 26
NHL.com
 
"The responsibilities a defenseman faces are numerous. He has to be strong in his own end to prevent goals, make smooth passes out of the defensive zone and chip in offensively by getting pucks to the net. The best blueliners also have to be able to play large amounts of ice time in all situations. Three defensemen met those responsibilities better than any other during the 2011-12 season, and because of that Zdeno Chara of the Boston Bruins, Erik Karlsson of the Ottawa Senators and Shea Weber of the Nashville Predators have been named as finalists for the Norris Trophy, awarded "to the defense player who demonstrates throughout the season the greatest all-round ability in the position.""
Another Norris nod for Zdeno Chara
April 26
Boston Herald
 
"The Norris Trophy finalists will be announced today and, according to a league source, Zdeno Chara's name will be among the three. Not that it's exactly a surprise. The 35-year-old Chara, who has one Norris win on his resume (2008-09), set a career high in points this season with 52 (12 goals, 40 assists), and his plus-33 tied a career best, which he's now done three times. The plus-minus rating was the best among defenseman and third in the league behind teammates Patrice Bergeron and Tyler Seguin. The Norris, as voted on by the Professional Hockey Writers Association, is given annually to the league's top defenseman. The source did not divulge the identities of the other two finalists,"
Chara, Thomas, Bergeron will rest; no news on Boychuk
April 4
Boston Globe
 
"The Bruins had no news about the injury to Johnny Boychuk's left leg after practice at Wilmington, but the rugged defenseman is expected to be reevaluated later today. Boychuk slammed his left leg into Pittsburgh's Aaron Asram during the Bruins' 5-3 loss Tuesday night and had to be helped off the ice by his teammates. After a full practice, the B's left immediately for Ottawa and the penultimate game of the season Thursday against the team likely to be their first-round playoff opponent. Left behind along with Boychuk were three stalwarts: goalie Tim Thomas, defenseman Zdeno Chara, and forward Patrice Bergeron, all told to take a rest day. Goalies Marty Turco and Antonin Khudobin made the"
Big night for Zdeno Chara, Bruins
March 28
Boston Herald
 
"It was a special night for Zdeno Chara even before the game started. Then, once the puck dropped, the Bruins captain made sure it stayed that way. Chara was honored before the B's matchup with the Tampa Bay Lightning for playing his 1,000th NHL game Saturday night in Los Angeles. He was given a commemorative crystal from the league, a silver stick and a portrait from the team, and an all-expenses-paid trip anywhere in the world from his teammates. Chara said thank you by recording three assists and a plus-3 rating in the Bruins' 5-2 victory against Tampa Bay at the Garden in a game that very well might have been his best this season."
Chara left feeling grand
March 25
Boston Globe
 
"Doug Houda, these days a Bruins assistant coach, was there from the start. It was a long time ago, early in the 1997-98 NHL season, but Houda remembers those early days on Long Island with that humongous, gangly kid from Slovakia trying to find his place in the game. But it wasn't so much Zdeno Chara's 6-foot-9-inch frame that everyone was talking about in those days with the Islanders. It was how the unknown kid from Trencin with the perpetual smile went about his work. "We just knew he had the world ahead of him, the way he worked,'' said Houda, who later that season was traded to the Ducks, in part because Chara became an instant fixture on the Islander blue line."
Chara in it for long haul
March 25
Boston Herald
 
"In Prague last season Zdeno Chara made the somewhat startling statement that he hoped to play until age 45. Before playing his 1,000th career game last night against the Kings, the Bruins captain reiterated that desire. "I would love to, yeah," Chara said. "Obviously, it's a question of staying healthy. If I can stay healthy, do I believe I can play until 45? Yeah, I believe so. First I want to play to the end of my contract, see how I feel and go from there." Chara is the 277th NHLer to reach 1,000 games, the 91st defenseman and the 11th to reach the milestone as a Bruin. Making his night more special was the B's hard-fought 4-2 win. "Obviously we knew the meaning of this game," Chara"
One year later, Montreal Canadiens' Max Pacioretty shows no ill effects of The Hit
March 9
Montreal Gazette
 
"It wasn't remotely as momentous as the Kennedy assassination, but most Canadiens fans can recall where they were and what they were doing on the night of March 8, 2011. And they don't need a Zapruder film to remind them. The Hit lives forever on YouTube. Type "Pacioretty Chara" in the Search box and several versions pop up. The most popular one runs three minutes and has had almost 1.8 million views. Spoiler alert: This does not end well for the player in red."
Boston Bruins' Zdeno Chara 'disappointed' by cheers after injury
February 16
Montreal Gazette
 
"The blood was pouring from Zdeno Chara's face even before he hit the ice in the final ticks of the first period. The Boston Bruins captain had been struck in the chin by a neutral-zone puck off the stick of Canadiens centre Tomas Plekanec, and before Chara had picked himself up and skated toward his dressing room, Plekanec having offered a kind word and a stick-tap on the butt, the Bell Centre was awash with cheers. Canadiens forward Max Pacioretty might have moved on from the terrible drama in this building last March, but obviously many fans who weren't injured that night have not."
Fans cheer Zdeno Chara injury in Montreal
February 16
Boston Herald
 
"The Bruins-Canadiens rivalry is one of the fiercest in all of sports. But every now and then there comes a moment when people take it just a little too far. Last night, that moment came as time was running out in the first period. Zdeno Chara was holding his left point position when the Habs' Tomas Plekanec fired a hard clear that caught Chara right in the chin. When the Bruins captain went down in a heap, the Bell Centre crowd erupted in a loud ovation. Chara took some stitches between periods and had it cleaned up after the game. "I can't control what the fans are going to do," Chara said. "But I'm disappointed."
Chara's stars beat hometown hero Alfredsson
January 30
Ottawa Sun
 
"On his big day, Daniel Alfredsson surrounded himself with Swedes. But it was a bunch of Slovak buddies, led by New York Rangers winger Marian Gaborik, who drove Team Chara to a 12-9 victory over Team Alfredsson in front of 20,510 in the 57th NHL all-star game Sunday at Scotiabank Place. While former Senators defenceman Zdeno Chara scored the third-period winner, it was Gaborik, voted the game MVP, who led his club to victory with a hat trick and four-point effort as Team Chara walked away with the bragging rights. "You could see the guys wanted to win," said Chara when asked if he gave his team any instructions with the score tied 6-6 going into the third period. "I didn't have to say a"
Chara sets record while keeping Hardest Shot title
January 29
NHL.com
 
"Patrick Kane may have been Superman at the 2012 Molson Canadian NHL All-Star Skills Competition on Saturday, but Zdeno Chara was the master of speeding bullets. Chara set a new record in the BlackBerry Hardest Shot event, shooting the puck at a blistering 108.8 mph. The Bruins' captain beat his own record of 105.9 mph, set last year. He beat Nashville's Shea Weber in the finals of the event, which has been dominated by the pair for several years. Weber also broke the old mark by firing a slap shot that hit an even 106 mph. "Sometimes you don't look exactly at the numbers," Chara said after winning the hardest shot title for the fifth straight time. "Sometimes you just want to win Obviously"
Zdeno Chara finds Tim Thomas to his liking
January 27
Boston Herald
 
"Bruins captain Zdeno Chara gave his strategy prior to last night's NHL Fantasy Draft, saying you don't want to load up on too many players of the same position. "You don't want to have, say, too many right wingers," said Chara. That, of course, gave the wiseguys in the press a wide opening. "So, Zdeno, if you don't want to take too many right wingers," asked Dave Shoalts of the Toronto Globe and Mail, "does that mean you won't be taking Tim Thomas?""
Alfredsson vs. Chara: Let the battle begin
January 19
Ottawa Sun
 
"Now the strategizing begins. As expected, Wednesday saw Daniel Alfredsson named captain of one of the all-star teams for the Jan. 29 showcase game in Ottawa. The other will be former Senator defenceman Zdeno Chara, who captained the Boston Bruins to a Stanley Cup last spring. Alfredsson was honoured to be chosen and says he now looks forward to beating his friend and former teammate. To that end, he's preparing for the drafting of sides. "I've studied the roster briefly, and I have my wishes, that I would like to have on my team, obviously," Alfredsson told reporters covering the Senators in San Jose. "My first pick, if I get first pick, will be (Erik) Karlsson. I hope Chara doesn't hear"
Zdeno Chara, Tyler Seguin earn trip to All-Star Game
January 13
Boston Herald
 
"The Bruins will not be as well-represented at the Jan. 29 NHL All-Star Game in Ottawa as the host team, whose ballot-box-stuffing fans managed to elect four Senators to the starting lineup. But the B's will have a sizable presence at the annual exhibition game, as defenseman Zdeno Chara and winger Tyler Seguin were selected yesterday for the game, joining Tim Thomas, who was elected as a starting goaltender. And, of course, B's coach Claude Julien will skipper one of the squads, aided by assistants Doug Houda, Geoff Ward and Doug Jarvis."
Captain's words help to rejuvenate Tyler Seguin
January 6
Boston Herald
 
"Zdeno Chara may not be the most vocal captain, but when he does address something, people tend to listen. The case in point is young Tyler Seguin. Seguin had cooled off considerably after a torrid start. Chara decided to have a heart-to-heart with Seguin last month when the team was in Ottawa. The message: When things aren't going you're way, lean on your best assets. In Seguin's case, that's skating and shooting."
Zdeno Chara, Tim Thomas shine on
December 21
Boston Herald
 
"It was suggested to Andrew Ference the other day that Tim Thomas and Zdeno Chara, playing as well as they ever have, are perhaps on their way to once more winning their respective NHL trophies. "Which trophy?" said Ference with a mischievous smile. "Conn Smythe?" Well, first things first. On the playoff MVP, we'll have to wait and see. But when it comes to the Vezina Trophy as the league's top goaltender and the Norris as the best defenseman, Thomas and Chara approach Christmas as the respective front-runners."
Z contributes right away — and Howe!
December 18
Boston Herald
 
"After the Flyers and Bruins took turns humiliating each other in the last two postseasons and Philadelphia took some of the gleam out of the Stanley Cup ring ceremony at the Garden on opening night in October, this could have been a delicious fight. Instead, it took the Bruins only 27 seconds to score the only goal they needed yesterday in a 6-0 shutout that ended the Flyers' seven-game winning streak. The game may have been over even before the opening faceoff, when captain Zdeno Chara took the ice for the B's following a two-game absence while recovering from a knee problem and concussed counterpart Chris Pronger did not even feel well enough to come to the phone for a media conference"
Chara looks ready to return
December 17
Boston Globe
 
"Zdeno Chara participated yesterday in his first full practice since injuring his left knee last Saturday against Columbus. Chara made it through the entire session at the Canadian Hockey International Academy without limitations. He took part in line rushes, went one-on-one against several teammates, and engaged in down-low battle drills, taking hits and dealing out punishment. Upon the team's arrival in Philadelphia last night, the Bruins assigned Steven Kampfer and Jordan Caron to Providence. Kampfer's assignment, which leaves the Bruins with six defensemen, indicates that Chara will return today."
Zdeno Chara on track to return to action today
December 17
Boston Herald
 
"One of the two teams in today's Eastern Conference showdown in Philadelphia is expected to have its all-world captain back in the lineup. It isn't the Flyers. While Philadelphia is reeling from the news that Flyers captain Chris Pronger's season is over because of a concussion, things are decidedly more upbeat in the Bruins camp. Zdeno Chara was back on the ice yesterday, the first time he has practiced with his teammates since injuring his left knee last Saturday in Columbus. Center Chris Kelly was happy to see Chara back out there, for the most part. "It's always good, except when we're doing 2-on-2 drills and things like that," Kelly said. "It's never fun to go against him." Chara, who"
For Zdeno Chara, return date gets closer
December 15
Boston Herald
 
"Although defenseman Zdeno Chara hinted yesterday morning he might play last night against the Senators, the Bruins [team stats] opted to hold him back and give what is believed to be a minor left knee sprain a few more days to heal. "He skated and he's obviously doing a lot better, but certainly not to the point where we want him in," coach Claude Julien said before the B's 5-2 win. "We're very optimistic that he'll be back soon. We gave him a couple of days to let it calm down. He's been biking a lot since that happened and he skated (yesterday). Right now it's going in the right direction." It seems probable Chara will return to the lineup Saturday against the Flyers in Philadelphia."
Zdeno Chara skates for first time since injury, likely out tonight
December 14
Boston Globe
 
"Zdeno Chara has completed a 35-minute skate at Scotiabank Place. It was the first time Chara skated since suffering a left knee injury last Saturday against Columbus at Nationwide Arena. Chara skated with Jordan Caron under the watch of Doug Jarvis. Chara looked smooth during the drills. He did not perform any hard starts or stops. He did not engage in any body contact with Caron."
Chara likely sidelined tonight
December 13
Boston Globe
 
"Zdeno Chara offered to conduct yesterday's interview standing or sitting down. Not that it mattered much to the Bruins captain. He wasn't going to let the lower-body injury he suffered in Saturday night's 5-3 victory against the Columbus Blue Jackets prevent him from doing either. For the record, Chara opted to stand when he spoke to reporters after sitting out yesterday's practice at Ristuccia Arena. Saying he felt "better than I expected,'' Chara remained uncertain about his availability against the Los Angeles Kings tonight at TD Garden."
Injured Chara to sit out week
December 12
Boston Herald
 
"The Bruins will be missing captain Zdeno Chara for a little while, but the injury he suffered appears to be relatively minor. According to a source, Chara is expected to miss this week's games against the Los Angeles Kings, Ottawa Senators and Philadelphia Flyers, and perhaps one or two more, due to the lower body injury he incurred on Saturday night in the Bruins' 5-3 win in Columbus. Chara was injured during a B's power play late in the second period, when he was trying to protect the puck from a forechecking Antoine Vermette and fell awkwardly to the ice. The defenseman skated to the bench under his own power and then went down the runway to receive medical attention. He did not return."
Chara hurt in win
December 11
Boston Globe
 
"Zdeno Chara departed because of a leg injury with approximately five minutes remaining in the second period, and didn't return. Tim Thomas, springing leaks through 40 minutes, was replaced by Tuukka Rask to start the third period. Yet without their two most important players, the Bruins busted a 3-3 tie to score a 5-3 win over the Blue Jackets last night at Nationwide Arena, halting a two-game slide. "Throughout the season you're going to have some injuries, and you're going to have to live with them,'' said Bruins coach Claude Julien, who indicated he didn't know the severity of Chara's injury. "No matter what happens, we came out in the third period tied, 3-3. Without him, we won it."
Bruins' win comes at cost
December 11
Boston Herald
 
"The Bruins got the victory they were looking for last night to snap a two-game skid, but it may have come at a high cost. Late in the second period of a 5-3 win against the Columbus Blue Jackets at Nationwide Arena, captain Zdeno Chara fell awkwardly to the ice while trying to protect the puck from a forechecking Antoine Vermette during a Bruins power play. The defenseman got up slowly and skated off the ice under his own power, but he soon went down the runway and didn't return. Coach Claude Julien labeled it a lower body injury, but he didn't venture a guess as to how long Chara, one of just a few irreplaceable players for the Stanley Cup champions, would be out. While the uncertainty of"
Chara points in right direction
December 4
Boston Globe
 
"As of yesterday, Zdeno Chara was fifth among NHL defensemen in scoring. The Bruin captain's 5-13-18 line equaled the output of Detroit's Nicklas Lidstrom and Nashville's Shea Weber, his two fellow finalists for the Norris Trophy last season. "My job is always to shut down top lines every game - that's the No. 1 job to me,'' Chara said. "Anything above that, it's a plus. Any time I can help the team offensively and contribute at the other side of the ice, it's a big plus.'' Had Chara continued to flicker offensively as he did at the start of the season, he might not have hit 18 points by the All-Star break. After six games, he had submitted a 0-0-0 line. Perhaps appropriately, the Bruins"
Max relief: No criminal charges on Chara
November 18
Boston Herald
 
"The news yesterday that Zdeno Chara will not face criminal charges for his hit last season Montreal forward Max Pacioretty hardly came as a shock. From the outset, the investigation seemed a bit laughable and spurred by the hysterical response of the Canadiens fandom. Still, it was a nuisance and Chara is glad it is done. "It's good news," said the captain. "It was somewhere in the back of mind, but it wasn't like I was thinking about it every day. It was just something I was waiting to hear about and finally that day came, so it's good news.""
Chara (knee) leaves Bruins scrimmage
September 19
CSN New England
 
"The first scrimmage of the season for the Bruins also brought the first few ice bags of camp as Zdeno Chara left the ice after taking a shot/clearing attempt in the inside of the left knee area. The incident happened in the neutral zone midway through Monday's Group B scrimmage on the TD Garden ice, and the B's captain immediately yelped out in pain after his knee absorbed the brunt of the puck. Chara finished the shift favoring his left leg noticeably and then walked right down the runway toward the B's dressing room."
Grieving Chara leads teammates with an emotional return
September 18
Boston Globe
 
"On Friday night, Zdeno Chara returned to Boston via Slovakia, where he attended a memorial service for close friend Pavol Demitra. Coach Claude Julien would have granted Chara a day off. But yesterday, despite being exhausted from the intercontinental flight and still mourning his neighbor's death, the captain participated in the first day of on-ice activities. Chara, paired mostly with freshman Dougie Hamilton, acknowledged being tired by the end of the session. But the Boston bosses knew Chara wanted to lead his teammates during the opening day of practices."
Reports: Zdeno Chara's hit on Max Pacioretty in the hands of prosecutors
August 11
Montreal Gazette
 
"Media reports suggest the investigation into Boston Bruins enforcer Zdeno Chara's bone-rattling hit on Montreal Canadien Max Pacioretty is now in the hands of prosecutors, but neither Montreal police nor the Crown were able to confirm the development Wednesday. Pacioretty suffered a fractured vertebra after his head was rammed into a stanchion by the almost seven-foot defenceman during a match at the Bell Centre March 8. The public outcry -- including calls to 911 by outraged fans reporting an assault -- was so great, Quebec's director of criminal and penal prosecutions ordered Montreal police to investigate. It took until July for Chara to be interviewed by detectives, since Boston's"
Canadian prosecutor gets results on Zdeno Chara investigation
August 11
SportingNews.com
 
"Boston Bruins captain Zdeno Chara's fate is in the hands of a Canadian prosecutor, according to reports from Montreal. Police on Wednesday turned over results of their investigation into a March on-ice incident in which Chara left Montreal Canadians forward Max Pacioretty with a concussion and a broken vertebra. According to Canada's QMI news agency, no decision on charging Chara is expected before November. A decision on whether Chara gets charged likely won't be made before November, a Crown spokesperson said. Police said they interviewed Chara in July and that he was cooperative. Outcry over Pacioretty's injury spurred the investigation, fueled by a decision by NHL disciplinarians not"
Resolution imminent in Zdeno Chara's case
July 30
Boston Globe
 
"The investigation into Zdeno Chara's hit on Max Pacioretty on March 8 is expected to close in short order. Chara and his attorney met with Montreal police investigators July 9 in Boston. "I was informed by Zdeno's lawyer that he thought it went well," said general manager Peter Chiarelli. Chara rode Pacioretty into one of the Bell Centre stanchions. Pacioretty suffered a severe concussion and a fractured neck vertebra, ending his season. Chara was tagged with a five-minute interference major and a game misconduct. Chara was not suspended, but Montreal police pledged to open an investigation. At the time, Chara said he did not intend to drive Pacioretty into the stanchion."
Boston Bruins captain spends day with Stanley Cup
July 25
SportingNews.com
 
"The Stanley Cup continues to make the rounds with the Boston Bruins -- it spent the weekend in Europe with Zdeno Chara and backup goalie Tuukka Rask. Rask, to put it mildly, has a tough act to follow. On Saturday, Chara, the team's 6-9 captain, took the Cup to his hometown of Trencin, Slovakia, where the mayor and Chara's former Little League team got their time with the trophy."
Bruins: Chara probe not a big deal
June 30
Boston Herald
 
"The fact that Montreal police are persisting in their investigation of Bruins captain Zdeno Chara's March 8 hit on Canadiens forward Max Pacioretty might strike some as comically absurd, essentially pandering to the Habs' myopic and frenzied fandom. But for Bruins general manager Peter Chiarelli, the news Tuesday that Montreal's finest still want to interview Chara as the final element of their probe was neither unexpected nor troubling. "I respect the fact that they're going to complete the process," Chiarelli said. "This was no surprise to us." Once the Chara interview is done, the Quebec director of criminal prosecutions will decide whether to press charges against Chara for his shove"
Montreal police after Zdeno Chara in Pacioretty investigation
June 28
Yahoo! Sports
 
"It's become a point of ridicule that Montreal Canadiens fans called the police after Zdeno Chara rode Max Pacioretty into a stanchion and onto a stretcher back in March. But here's the thing: There's actually an ongoing police investigation into the matter; and now that the Boston Bruins are Stanley Cup champions, Montreal authorities would like a word with the last witness in this case with whom they've yet to speak — Zdeno Chara. From CBC News: Sgt. Ian Lafrenière of Montreal police said the investigation was delayed because most of the witnesses were hockey players busy with the Stanley Cup Playoffs. There were concerns Chara would be brought in for questioning when he returned to"
Mark Messier's leadership award goes to Zdeno Chara
June 23
Boston Herald
 
"Bruins captain Zdeno Chara lifted the NHL's grandest prize, the Stanley Cup, last week in Vancouver, so he likely wasn't all that heartbroken last night to see Detroit Red Wings legend Nicklas Lidstrom receive the Norris Trophy as the NHL's top all-round defenseman. The 40-year-old Lidstrom, who recently made the Red Wings and their fans happy by announcing he'll return for a 20th season, won the award for the seventh time, tying Doug Harvey for the second-most ever. Bobby Orr won eight times. Chara did earn a pair of substantial consolation prizes. He was awarded the Mark Messier NHL Leadership Award and named to the second NHL All-Star team. The winner of the award is selected by Mark"
Star-studded treatment for NHL's best at Awards
June 22
NHL.com
 
"In a town known for its big names and bigger-than-life performances, the National Hockey League will honor its best and brightest Wednesday night in a star-studded affair at the Pearl Theater at the Palms Casino. The 2011 Awards show (7 p.m. ET, Versus, CBC) brings the game's best players together with stars from the entertainment world in a celebration of a historic 2010-11 season -- a season that opened with the Boston Bruins as one of six teams in Europe and ended with those same Bruins doing a victory lap with the Stanley Cup last Wednesday after a Game 7 triumph against the Canucks in Vancouver. Two of those Bruins, perhaps the two biggest Bruins, are here hoping to add to their"
Signing of Chara started Cup run
June 19
New York Post
 columnist Larry Brooks
"It WAS the summer of 2006, and the only way for the Senators to keep impending free agent defensemen Zdeno Chara and Wade Redden was to get each at a hometown discount. Redden, then 29, went for it, signing a two-year, $13 million deal that included a no-trade clause. Chara, also 29, did not, spurning Ottawa before signing a five-year, $37.5M contract with the Bruins and general manager Peter Chiarelli, hired approximately a month earlier after serving as assistant GM in Ottawa. Chiarelli, in fact, was hired after Nashville assistant Ray Shero rejected a Boston lowball offer (What, from Jeremy Jacobs? Couldn't be!) and signed instead to become GM of the Penguins. History was made those"
Zdeno Chara fulfills Cup goal he set five years ago
June 18
Boston Herald
 columnist Steve Buckley
"Before they exited Rogers Arena on Wednesday night in search of stuff they could set on fire, Vancouver Canucks fans received a real treat: They saw Bruins captain Zdeno Chara hoist the Stanley Cup into the air. It was quite a scene. Two official-looking fellows solemnly carried the Stanley Cup out to the ice, their white gloves seeing to it that no fingerprints could smudge the magnificent gloss on the most famous trophy in all sports. Walking behind the white-gloved fellows was NHL commissioner Gary Bettman. But what at first could have been perceived as a funny visual — smallish man in suit hands trophy to 6-foot-9 behemoth on skates — quickly became a moment that was all about victory,"
Thomas, Chara must play their best tonight
June 15
Boston Globe
 
"Six games into the 2011 Stanley Cup Final, we have no idea which team will walk out of Rogers Arena a champion tonight. We cannot say with any authority or confidence that the Bruins are better than the Canucks, or that the Canucks are better than the Bruins, or that officiating, Zamboni, luck, or plain old hockey mojo have favored one over the other. What we can say with certainty is that the Bruins' best players — goalie Tim Thomas and 6-foot-9-inch captain/defenseman/shutdown cyborg Zdeno Chara — have been the Bruins' best players. If tonight it comes down to best players doing best things, then the Bruins will be champs for the first time since 1972, because Tank and Big Z have put a"
Edge goes to Zdeno Chara in solving problems
June 12
Boston Herald
 
"Bruins captain Zdeno Chara isn't confounded by the home-road dynamic of the Stanley Cup finals. The Bruins returned to the Garden yesterday trailing the Canucks, 3-2, after Friday night's Game 5 loss in Vancouver. In three games played in Vancouver, the B's were shut out twice 1-0 (Games 1 and 5) and lost a 3-2 decision in overtime (Game 2). In Games 3 and 4 at the Garden, the Bruins outscored the Canucks by a combined 12-1. "Obviously we played a lot more on the edge in Games 3 and 4 and we have to bring the same approach in Game 6," Chara said. "We are only looking at Game 6, that is the most important game for us." The captain hopes the home-scoring touch returns to the fore when the"
Chara, Doan, Lidstrom finalists for Messier Award
June 7
NHL.com
 
"Mark Messier knows a little about leadership. For that reason alone, current Boston Bruin defenseman Zdeno Chara, Detroit's stellar blue liner Nicklas Lidstrom, and Phoenix Coyotes winger Shane Doan all have the right to be excited that they were acknowledged as some of the game's best leaders by Messier, who announced the three team captains as finalists for the NHL Mark Messier Leadership Award, presented by Bridgestone. Messier made the announcement Monday at TD Garden, just hours before the start of game 3 of the Stanley Cup Final. The recipient will be announced Wednesday, June 22, during the 2011 NHL Awards in Las Vegas."
Coaches see big improvement up front
June 5
Boston Globe
 
"At 11:35 of last night's second period, when the Bruins scored their first power-play goal of the Stanley Cup Final, Mark Recchi delivered some much-needed vindication for his coaching staff. The coaches — assistant Geoff Ward is in charge of the power play — made all the right moves. Zdeno Chara had started the night as the net-front presence on the No. 1 power-play unit. But in the second, Chara went back to the point on the No. 2 unit. The puck that floated off Chara's stick ended up behind Roberto Luongo. Claude Julien has liked Chara's work in front. In Game 1, the Bruins ripped eight shots during a four-minute power play, with Chara screening Luongo for most of it."
Bad night for captain
June 5
Boston Herald
 
"There was some worry about how Zdeno Chara would hold up if overtime went on too long in last night's Game 2 of the Stanley Cup final, because the Bruins defenseman logged 28:01 of ice time in regulation. His inability to stop Alex Burrows from scoring the game-winning goal 11 seconds into that extra session made the point moot. The game-losing play was appropriate, considering how many gaffes the B's defense committed leading up to Burrows' score that gave Vancouver a 3-2 win at Rogers Arena and a 2-0 series lead. Chara's inability to win a battle down low with Henrik Sedin led to the game-tying goal at 9:37 of the third, and Andrew Ference turned the puck over to start the Canucks'"
Bieksa faces tall task in Chara
June 4
Edmonton Sun
 
"Defenceman Kevin Bieksa is used to having his hands full in front of the Vancouver Canucks net. Battling with 6-foot-9 Boston Bruins defenceman Zdeno Chara in front when the B's are on the power play takes it to new heights. "A lot of the guys are taking runs at him, trying to check out the big guy, see what he's made out of," Bieksa said. "It's fun to play against him. We're going to play hard against everybody. When you're playing against the biggest and the strongest guy in the league, you want to test yourself. We're going to be physical every chance we get." "Obviously, it's a little bit different from being on the point. But I think the main purpose of the whole thing is the same:"
Screen may open door
June 4
Boston Globe
 
"In Game 1 of the Stanley Cup Final, the Bruins' power play looked its best in the first period when Zdeno Chara was screening Canucks goalie Roberto Luongo. It appears Chara will remain in that position for tonight's Game 2. Toward the end of practice yesterday, the Bruins worked on their flickering power play. Like he has been since the third period of Game 5 of the Eastern Conference finals, Chara was the net-front presence on the first unit. Tomas Kaberle and Dennis Seidenberg were the point men. David Krejci manned the left boards. Nathan Horton was in the left corner. For most of his time in Boston, Chara has been at the blue line on the power play. From there, the Bruins have looked"
Bruins' Chara big presence in front of Canucks net
June 3
Vancouver Province
 
"A misfiring power play is a touchy topic amongst the Boston Bruins, although head coach Claude Julien has resorted to using huge defenceman Zdeno Chara as a net presence in an attempt to create something by screening the opposing goaltender. It was first tried late in Game 5 in the Eastern Conference final against Tampa Bay, although not much in the way of tangible results – goals, that is – has been the result. The Bruins have a miserable 7.5 per cent conversion rate with the man advantage in the playoffs or five goals on 67 chances. In their last six games, they are one-for-20. It could have been a huge difference-maker in a Game 1 loss by a 1-0 score to the Canucks, as the Bruins"
Zdeno Chara can't stop Canucks' winner
June 2
Boston Herald
 
"Bruins defenseman Zdeno Chara made the wrong read on the deciding play in last night's 1-0 loss to the Vancouver Canucks in Game 1 of the Stanley Cup final at Rogers Arena. The third period was heading toward overtime when Canucks center Ryan Kesler turned a mistake along the boards into a 2-on-1 Canucks rush in the B's zone. Kesler beat Bruins defenseman Johnny Boychuk to a clearing at the B's blue line, and fed Jannik Hansen advancing into the right circle, with Raffi Torres skating unattended on the left flank. Chara was positioned between the Canucks forwards as they closed on B's goalie Tim Thomas, and he had a nanosecond to decide what play to make. Chara gambled that Hansen would"
Zdeno Chara has an answer
June 1
Boston Herald
 
"They led him through a tunnel and into various makeshift television studios yesterday deep down inside Rogers Arena, and then they sat him down in yet more rooms to do radio interviews. And then the people who are in charge of hyping and publicizing the Stanley Cup finals escorted Zdeno Chara up one level to a concourse filled with still more media types, and they sat him at a little podium and pretty much told the reporters to fire away. The Bruins defenseman was asked about how this will be the first Stanley Cup finals in which both captains are European — Chara is from Slovakia, while the Vancouver Canucks' Henrik Sedin is from Sweden. "It doesn't matter what nationality you are," Chara"