Player Discussion Zdeno Chara - III

[BruinsNetwork]

I'd reserve judgement after 2 games, but the whole team has not looked good minus goaltending and a few young players.
Chara looks bad through November and December and the board will be lit up with his retirement party planning.

I stall maintain we have gold in Gryz/McAvoy pairing that is unmined and Chara should be moved down and his minutes reduced. He, like Rask, performs better when used strategically.
Gonna need him fresh as a flower come playoff time, not stumbling over the finish line.

Maybe 48-73 works, but maybe it doesn't. Either way, I just can't see a scenario where Chara isn't completely out of gas by playoffs if he's still playing top-pair minutes every night. Would like to see some different combinations next to McAvoy as the season persists.

Currently they have Grzelcyk as the one hopeful candidate who could be effective at 1LD. Other options in Providence include Vaakanainen, Zboril and Lauzon. Vaakanainen definitely has been set back given his injuries and issues last year, so I don't think he's ready yet.

Lauzon is definitely ready for the NHL, but don't think he's a top-pair kind of guy, even with McAvoy at the moment. Could that change? Absolutely, but as it stands now I think he's primed for second-pair minutes in the NHL. He's the strongest and most physically overpowering player in Providence, IMO.

Zboril has the tools to keep up with McAvoy and be a top-pairing defender, but his mind and consistency hasn't caught up yet. Is Zboril ready for the NHL? Yes, I think he is. I think Zboril needs to be playing in the NHL right now to learn at the next level, but there just aren't enough spaces in Boston.

Aside from my rant and back to your main point here, I'm in agreement that something has to give with Chara over the course of the season. Can't have him logging top-pair minutes all year.

 

[Dr Hook]

I am surprised no one has jumped in with stats to "prove" that he is still our best defenseman

3rd pair minutes+ PK+ important d-zone starts, mentoring Clifton or whoever gets called up from Providence, and strategic res nigts and he can have an impact role with the team without exposing him to the speedy top lines of teams night in and night out that will make him look bad.

 

[BruinsBtn]

I don't know if we were watching the same game. In the last 5 minutes of the game, Chara repeatedly broke up plays and cleared the puck. There's still no one better to hold a lead.

 

[BruinsNetwork]

I am surprised no one has jumped in with stats to "prove" that he is still our best defenseman

3rd pair minutes+ PK+ important d-zone starts, mentoring Clifton or whoever gets called up from Providence, and strategic res nigts and he can have an impact role with the team without exposing him to the speedy top lines of teams night in and night out that will make him look bad.

He's still a shutdown defender on the top-pair when he can keep opposition in front of of him. It's really tough to get by him and his gap-control is still unworldly. However, if you do get behind him, he seems to turn and move in slow-motion to keep up though the first couple of games this season. Ideally, I think Chara can still be in the top-four, but not at 22:00 TOI or top-pairing minutes with heavy time on the PK each night.

He's far from ineffective, but his lack of speed and agility is definitely showing more and more with these younger, faster players being sprinkled everywhere in the NHL.

 

[don]

Hate to say it but he looks like he's lost 2 steps. I would move him to 2nd pairing. But then, who gets the #1 pair position is a huge question. I haven't seen anyone currently ready. Time for a trade?

 

[AngryMilkcrates]

Chara's choices when the puck is on his stick are maddening to me. So often he puts it right where the opponent can intercept, he is far too easy to read these days. At the end of the game Chara got the puck in the slot in front of Halak and dumped it to the corner which went right off to a yote. Instead of being hemmed in for 35 seconds it ended up being over a minute because of that choice. Pre-season is what it is but I've never seen him trip over the blue line so many times in his career, in one game I stopped counting at 5 in one period.

He has his "Yup, thats our Chara" moments, but more "oof" moments are creeping into his game. Which is still pretty darn good for being 42. Just think it's far past time to reduce his limits and not drive the guy into the ground. There were games last postseason where he looked exhaused.

 

[Dr Hook]

He's still a shutdown defender on the top-pair when he can keep opposition in front of of him. It's really tough to get by him and his gap-control is still unworldly. However, if you do get behind him, he seems to turn and move in slow-motion to keep up though the first couple of games this season. Ideally, I think Chara can still be in the top-four, but not at 22:00 TOI or top-pairing minutes with heavy time on the PK each night.

He's far from ineffective, but his lack of speed and agility is definitely showing more and more with these younger, faster players being sprinkled everywhere in the NHL.

Fair enough assessment, and we should mention that his puck handling has gotten worse, too. I just want the team to use him properly where his strengths are maximized and his weaknesses minimized instead of treating him like he is still the player he was 5 years ago.

 

[Dr Hook]

I don't know if we were watching the same game. In the last 5 minutes of the game, Chara repeatedly broke up plays and cleared the puck. There's still no one better to hold a lead.

Sorry I missed this earlier, but as I said he has strengths still and should be deployed accordingly. Tonight's game- brutal with the puck, looked slow, but there is no one you want more out there on the PK or when the goalie is pulled. Anyway, we were watching the same game, clearly. We just don't see it the same way and nothing wrong with that at all.

 

[BigGoalBrad]

Same guy he can still defend but the flaws are there.

The games just so fast him and Backes can’t help but stick out for their lack of speed even when they are playing Ok.

I’ve never worried about Chara regular season it’s into the playoffs ever since 2013 that’s the issues.


Gryz and McAvoy aren’t good together go see who let in the goal Brad got blamed for and could have both prevented. Tying up big money on the left side and not replacing Big Z could cost us multiple Cups.

 

[McGarnagle]

This guy is 42 years old and still logging 25 minutes of ice time. That's just incredible.

 

[chizzler]

This guy is 42 years old and still logging 25 minutes of ice time. That's just incredible.

Shouldn’t be. He is because his partner needs to be on the ice for 25+ mins.

 

[bearcountry17]

Shouldn’t be. He is because his partner needs to be on the ice for 25+ mins.

He did because Grzelcyk missed an entire period.

 

[Bruinaura]

 

[Bruinaura]

Also:


Congrats Z!

 

[AngryMilkcrates]

WOW

 

[Over the volcano]

Yeah but don’t you know how old he is?

 

[Boston Bandit]

That is just amazing! I love Chara

 

[Bruinaura]

Yeah but don’t you know how old he is?

I hear he is also tall. But you can never believe those rumors.

 

[Estlin]

Because his partner is McAvoy.

 

[chizzler]

He did because Grzelcyk missed an entire period.

I didn’t see the game, only the ending. Oops. He still will get minutes because of Mac.

 

[Krupp]

Who knows if that goal he scored will be his last? Either way, i'm loving it that he's still in it

If this is his last run, i'm gonna enjoy as much of it as I can

 

[Over the volcano]

What more could anyone ask of a captain - huge statement early in tonight’s game against target #1 and no one on the Blues really wants to make him answer for it because they know what he will do to them.

For all the too old and too slow talk he’s still an elite Captain in the league who can do what few others can.

 

[Boston Bandit]

What more could anyone ask of a captain - huge statement early in tonight’s game against target #1 and no one on the Blues really wants to make him answer for it because they know what he will do to them.

For all the too old and too slow talk he’s still an elite Captain in the league who can do what few others can.

He deserves to lift another Cup

 

[Over the volcano]

He deserves to lift another Cup

Yes he does

 

[Ivo]

+6 yesterday