BRUINS GDT Game 8 7:07 PM - Chara and the Caps welcome the B's to DC - NESN, ESPN+, 98.5 WBZ-FM

[Fenway]

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Boston's Brad Marchand has made a career out of pestering opponents.

But expect him to be on his best behavior Saturday when the Bruins travel to Washington to face longtime teammate Zdeno Chara for the first time.

"You don't want to poke the bear," Marchand said. "He's the guy that when you're on the ice with him, you're an opponent. ... It'll be weird to see him in a different uniform."

Chara, 43, spent 14 seasons patrolling the Boston blue line and wearing the "C" on his jersey as the team captain, guiding the Bruins to three Stanley Cup Finals and a championship in 2011 as well as the Presidents' Trophy last season as the team with the most regular-season points.

But with his role in Boston diminishing and his contract up, he decided to sign a one-year deal with the Capitals in the offseason.

"I think he'll come out and we'll see his best," Bruins coach Bruce Cassidy said after a 4-1 victory against visiting Pittsburgh on Thursday, the team's fourth win in a row. "He bled black and gold here for the Bruins for years, and I think he's gonna wanna show his teammates, and everyone in the organization, that he can still bring it. I would expect nothing less."

Chara scored his first goal for the Capitals and added an assist Thursday as they rallied from a three-goal deficit to defeat the New York Islanders 6-3.

Following his tally on a slap shot from just above the left faceoff circle, which capped a five-goal second period, Chara was mobbed by his new teammates at the door to the Capitals' bench.

"I returned to the bench to the guys right away because I just wanted to share the joy and excitement with them," Chara said. "Since Day 1, they've really done an amazing job welcoming me and making the transition as easy and simple as possible for me."

Capitals coach Peter Laviolette was even taken in by the celebration.

"It was pretty awesome," Laviolette said. "It was one of the coolest things I've seen in a long time with regard to a team."

Chara was asked after the game about the upcoming matchup against the Bruins but refrained from any sentimentality.

"It's all about the team ..." he said. "Obviously, we know we're going to be facing a really good team (in the Bruins) and we're going to have to prepare ourselves and play our best to have a chance."

The Capitals have set a franchise record by starting the season with an eight-game point streak (5-0-3). They did so despite captain Alex Ovechkin, forward Evgeny Kuznetsov, defenseman Dmitry Orlov and goaltender Ilya Samsonov missing the past four games because of COVID-19 protocols. None of the four skated Friday in optional practice and they remain day-to-day.

It was originally thought they would be eligible to return Saturday, but there has been no official announcement regarding their status.

The Bruins might get top-line winger David Pastrnak back following offseason hip surgery.

But it'll mostly be about Chara.

"It's gonna be really weird seeing him on the other side of the ice," said the Bruins' Charlie McAvoy, who spent his first two NHL seasons with Chara as his defensive partner. "I don't know if that's gonna be something I'll really be kind of able to get over -- seeing him in a Capitals jersey.

"I think his presence is pretty irreplaceable, completely irreplaceable. The magnitude of who he is as a player and a person, people like him don't come around every day. That is obviously different, not having him here."

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[Ivo]

Will be a weird experience for sure to see Chara facing the Bruins. Especially knowing that on the ice, he is not going to hold back or look at the Bruins as the long-time friends they are - he is such a fierce competitor and doesn’t let such things get in the way of always giving his 100%.

 

[caz16]

I am hoping for a statement game from the Bruins - Holtby is gone, he was such a massive thorn in their sides. They are rolling now with more swagger, time to turn the tables on these Caps. It will be heartbreaking to see Big Z in that sweater though. Keep your heads up kids!

Edited to add: I mean keep your heads up because of Wilson...that sounded like Chara which I obviously don't mean.

 

[Mantis]

f*** the caps

 

[BAD BOY]

I have nothing but a ton of respect for Chara. He was a great Bruin who will get his number retired. That is all understandable.

Now onto the game. Put a lot of hang time on them pucks and make him chase them or dig them out. This is the biggest test tonight. We are playing the caps twice tonight and Monday. Could Freddy go with Wilson, could Miller go with Wilson . I don’t know but let’s see. I understand this is not your sentimental post and won’t get a lot of likes but I don’t give a shit. The young players don’t be in awe of him just play the game. The Washington Capitals have owned this team most of the time. Hopefully they are sick and tired of it. Let’s go!

 

[bruinsfan1970]

It should be a good game but I don't know much about the Caps goalie, let us hope the Bruins can start a winning streak against the Caps now that Holtby is gone. As for Chara I have watched a few of their games this year and he has made a few miscues by allowing the other team to score. He will probably be at his best but he has slowed down a lot so I look for the Bruins to get a few two on ones. Let's Go Bruins, lets keep the streak going!!!

 

[Ladyfan]

It will be weird to see Big Z on the Caps. I wish him the best except against the B's

I love Pasta !

 

[HustleB]

I wish it were Senyshyn instead of Kuhlman, but otherwise I like the forward lineup. Is it Clifton in for Grezclyk again or is Moore healthy?

 

[sooshii]

It will be great to see Pasta’s smiling face back.
Fluto had a nice feature on him & his draft in The Athletic this week:


At the combine, suit and tie are standard. Some teams consider interviews more important than physical testing.

For Pastrnak, face-to-face interaction could have unraveled before it started. Pastrnak’s dress clothes were in his luggage, which was nowhere to be found when he touched down at Pearson International Airport.

“Some guys at the combine, they feel the pressure. It would be the end of the world,” said Marr, whose staff fitted Pastrnak with a combine polo shirt while conducting regular checks with the offending airline. “They’d stand out because they don’t have a shirt and jacket. He just went with the flow.”

Pastrnak’s casual outfit didn’t make an impression on Axelsson, Gretzky and Scott Bradley, the Bruins’ combine representatives. The teenager’s words stuck with his adult inquisitors.

The party of four went out to dinner. The conversation steered toward Pastrnak’s family.

On May 21, 2013, just about a year before the combine, Milan Pastrnak, David’s father, died due to skin cancer. As Gretzky, Axelsson and Bradley listened, Pastrnak discussed his father’s death, his mother Marcela Ziembova’s grief and his own suffering. At the end of the night, Gretzky said goodbye to Pastrnak with a parting message.

“If you don’t play for the Boston Bruins,” Gretzky told the teenager, “I hope, one day, you play in the NHL for your mom.”

 

[rfournier103]

 

[Bruinaura]

It will be great to see Pasta’s smiling face back.
Fluto had a nice feature on him & his draft in The Athletic this week:


At the combine, suit and tie are standard. Some teams consider interviews more important than physical testing.

For Pastrnak, face-to-face interaction could have unraveled before it started. Pastrnak’s dress clothes were in his luggage, which was nowhere to be found when he touched down at Pearson International Airport.

“Some guys at the combine, they feel the pressure. It would be the end of the world,” said Marr, whose staff fitted Pastrnak with a combine polo shirt while conducting regular checks with the offending airline. “They’d stand out because they don’t have a shirt and jacket. He just went with the flow.”

Pastrnak’s casual outfit didn’t make an impression on Axelsson, Gretzky and Scott Bradley, the Bruins’ combine representatives. The teenager’s words stuck with his adult inquisitors.

The party of four went out to dinner. The conversation steered toward Pastrnak’s family.

On May 21, 2013, just about a year before the combine, Milan Pastrnak, David’s father, died due to skin cancer. As Gretzky, Axelsson and Bradley listened, Pastrnak discussed his father’s death, his mother Marcela Ziembova’s grief and his own suffering. At the end of the night, Gretzky said goodbye to Pastrnak with a parting message.

“If you don’t play for the Boston Bruins,” Gretzky told the teenager, “I hope, one day, you play in the NHL for your mom.”

Yeah, that was a really good article. Fluto has had some good ones lately.

 

[Bruinaura]

 

[txpd]

 

[ON3M4N]

Thanks for the memories Z....with that, I hope we skate circles around you and we come home with a win

 

[nORRis8]

True test for the lads.
Happy for Z settling in nicely in Washington.

Thing about Chara is much of his time on the ice is to kill penalties, tie the guy in front of the net. That's where he's most effective.
The Bruins however do not plop a guy in front of the net to screen on the PP. So Chara will need to be mobile, something in his game that's on the decline.

Where Z is still effective is his work in the corners and stifling the passing lanes and controlling rebounds.

He'll either come out of this game looking ok or not good.

 

[kthx]

First time watching Chara this year. Should be a great game.

 

[TwineTickler]

I think Z is going to go hard on the B's tonight. Hope the boys go right back at him and expose him. Need to have their best effort of the year thus far the next 2 games.

 

[NDiesel]

True test for the lads.
Happy for Z settling in nicely in Washington.

Thing about Chara is much of his time on the ice is to kill penalties, tie the guy in front of the net. That's where he's most effective.
The Bruins however do not plop a guy in front of the net to screen on the PP. So Chara will need to be mobile, something in his game that's on the decline.

Where Z is still effective is his work in the corners and stifling the passing lanes and controlling rebounds.

He'll either come out of this game looking ok or not good.

What do you mean, Nick Ritchie has been in front of the net all year on the pp....now if they take him off that pp with Pasta back is another question.

 

[HustleB]

What do you mean, Nick Ritchie has been in front of the net all year on the pp....now if they take him off that pp with Pasta back is another question.

I think he stays on even with Pasta back. We have been trying DeBrusk/Coyle as our net front presence. For me Krejci replaces Grezclyk at the point or he moves to PP2.

 

[SanDogBrewin]

 

[Dennis Bonvie]

It should be a good game but I don't know much about the Caps goalie, let us hope the Bruins can start a winning streak against the Caps now that Holtby is gone. As for Chara I have watched a few of their games this year and he has made a few miscues by allowing the other team to score. He will probably be at his best but he has slowed down a lot so I look for the Bruins to get a few two on ones. Let's Go Bruins, lets keep the streak going!!!

And yet he is still sitting there with a +7 in 8 games. As usual.

 

[Ladyfan]

It will be great to see Pasta’s smiling face back.
Fluto had a nice feature on him & his draft in The Athletic this week:


At the combine, suit and tie are standard. Some teams consider interviews more important than physical testing.

For Pastrnak, face-to-face interaction could have unraveled before it started. Pastrnak’s dress clothes were in his luggage, which was nowhere to be found when he touched down at Pearson International Airport.

“Some guys at the combine, they feel the pressure. It would be the end of the world,” said Marr, whose staff fitted Pastrnak with a combine polo shirt while conducting regular checks with the offending airline. “They’d stand out because they don’t have a shirt and jacket. He just went with the flow.”

Pastrnak’s casual outfit didn’t make an impression on Axelsson, Gretzky and Scott Bradley, the Bruins’ combine representatives. The teenager’s words stuck with his adult inquisitors.

The party of four went out to dinner. The conversation steered toward Pastrnak’s family.

On May 21, 2013, just about a year before the combine, Milan Pastrnak, David’s father, died due to skin cancer. As Gretzky, Axelsson and Bradley listened, Pastrnak discussed his father’s death, his mother Marcela Ziembova’s grief and his own suffering. At the end of the night, Gretzky said goodbye to Pastrnak with a parting message.

“If you don’t play for the Boston Bruins,” Gretzky told the teenager, “I hope, one day, you play in the NHL for your mom.”

Pasta is a good one. He is so easy to like and not just for his talents on the ice.

I remember after one of his first games the press wanted to speak to him but he was in a hurry to go. The press asked why he was in such a hurry and Pasta said he had to give his Mom a hug

 

[HockeyMomx2]

I haven't trained the other half well enough yet...he scheduled an appt to meet realtor at property we want to look at right at frickin' puck drop. Its 45 mins from here. Hoping to make it back in time for 3rd at least.

Lets go boys, get it done!

 

[Clode]

Z is going to toss the boys around tonight I think lol, I vaguely remember him going out of his way to clobber Alfredsson/Spezza/Heatley the first time he faced the Sens after he signed in Boston. Going to be weird seeing him on the other side for sure

 

[Dr Hook]

I haven't trained the other half well enough yet...he scheduled an appt to meet realtor at property we want to look at right at frickin' puck drop. Its 45 mins from here. Hoping to make it back in time for 3rd at least.

Lets go boys, get it done!

You've clearly got some work to do here