NHL Insider Expects Zdeno Chara to Play in Game 5 With Broken Jaw

Boston Bruins defensive stalwart Zdeno Chara suffered a broken jaw after deflecting a shot off his stick directly into his face in the second period of Monday's Game 4.

While the immediate reports suggested that the injury would not only hold the 20-year veteran out of Game 5 but Boston sports radio host Christian Fauria reported on Tuesday that Chara would miss the remainder of the Stanley Cup Finals.

Fast forward 24 hours later, however, and Joe McDonald, senior writer for The Athletic, believes that Chara WILL actually give it a go for Thursday night's Game 5.

McDonald notes that a sample of former players have all played a professional hockey game with a broken jaw. But what makes his toughness all the more remarkable, however, is that the timetable for a return from a broken jaw is generally several weeks long.

But even teammate Noel Acciari knows how impossible it will be for Bruins team doctors to convince Chara to sit out. "Good luck telling that guy he can’t play," he said. "He definitely can be effective (if he plays) just with his presence. He’s a true leader and he’s not going to want to miss the final two or three games of the Stanley Cup final."

That's just how the 42-year-old, seven-time All-Star rolls. If McDonald's "sense" is anything to go by, then Chara will be laying it all on the line in Game 5, looking for the chance to lift the Cup for the second time in his illustrious career.