Zdeno Chara Could Miss Game 5 After Taking Puck Right to the Face
By Brendan Azoff
After deflecting a Brayden Schenn shot up his stick and directly into his face in the second period Monday night against the Blues, Zdeno Chara could potentially miss Game 5 of the Stanley Cup Finals, a significant blow to the Boston Bruins.
"We clearly know he got a puck to the face, very uncomfortable, was advised not to return to play, had some stitches, probably some dental work in the near future. He wanted to come out on the bench and be with his teammates, that’s why he was out there." https://t.co/9mtY7JuCNR
— Emily Kaplan (@emilymkaplan) June 4, 2019
Chara was badly cut coming off the ice, and despite his return to the bench in the third period of Game 4, the Bruins captain did not see another shift the rest of the night. This would be a huge loss for Boston to have to overcome, as they are not only losing a great defender, but they will be losing their leader as well, an utterly irreplaceable presence both physically and emotionally.
Zdeno Chara takes a puck to the face, leaks blood, returns with full fishbowl but does not hit the ice in the third period ? pic.twitter.com/fYh8ANn2fC
— Hockey Night in Canada (@hockeynight) June 4, 2019
it was an unfortunate play, one that happens more often than anyone would like throughout the course of the NHL season, and could not have come at a worse time or to a more important player for the B's. Steve Kampfer would figure to be the replacement for Chara in Game 5 considering that fellow defenseman Matt Grzelcyk is also out injured for Boston, a coup for the Blues as they seek to snatch a 3-2 series advantage .
If Chara does miss Game 5, expect St. Louis to forecheck hard and hit the Bruins defense every chance they get. If they can outmuscle Boston's defensive core, Tuukka Rask could be in for a long, long night.