Player Discussion Zdeno Chara - III

[Bruinaura]

"On to the next 1500"

 

[alko]

On to the next 1500"

Maybe as a GM of Boston Bruins.

 

[Lobster57]

Pretty trivial i guess, but i wish they'd been wearing the regular home jerseys. I don't mind the new 3rds but would have been more fitting in the regular

 

[BruinsBtn]

I've always been a huge supporter of Chara even when so many loud voices wanted to dump him and he's still a very effective player who should get to play as long as he wants.

What's crazy is that so many people said it would be his speed that killed his career but his skating still isn't a problem in my eyes. What's hurting him lately is his passing and decision-making. The number of giveaways he's had this year is concerning. He doesn't seem to move it as quickly and confidently as before. His zone clears on the PK are worsening too.

Am I the only one who sees this?

 

[Dr Hook]

I've always been a huge supporter of Chara even when so many loud voices wanted to dump him and he's still a very effective player who should get to play as long as he wants.

What's crazy is that so many people said it would be his speed that killed his career but his skating still isn't a problem in my eyes. What's hurting him lately is his passing and decision-making. The number of giveaways he's had this year is concerning. He doesn't seem to move it as quickly and confidently as before. His zone clears on the PK are worsening too.

Am I the only one who sees this?

Nope, I've noticed it too. He was never the greatest puck moving guy ever, but it's gotten bad as the season has progressed. Unlike you, though, I think his skating has worsened and it gets obvious when the play is more fluid. He is still great when play is more static and he can use his positioning and mighty wingspan, but when the ice opens up he gets in trouble. But whether we agree on that, or not, we agree on the puck stuff.

 

[BruinsFanMike82]

 

[hrdpuk]

Nothing lasts forever . He needs fewer minutes

 

[22Brad Park]

Nothing lasts forever . He needs fewer minutes

21:26 today.Trying to win the division so doubt his minutes backoff.

 

[Aussie Bruin]

Nope, I've noticed it too. He was never the greatest puck moving guy ever, but it's gotten bad as the season has progressed. Unlike you, though, I think his skating has worsened and it gets obvious when the play is more fluid. He is still great when play is more static and he can use his positioning and mighty wingspan, but when the ice opens up he gets in trouble. But whether we agree on that, or not, we agree on the puck stuff.

I agree Chara has his shortcomings but Sweeney and Cassidy either don't see them or aren't too bothered by them, because at this point he's clearly staying on the top pair and will continue to be logging big, clutch minutes with Chucky heading into the POs. At the start of the season I thought we might see him start to shuffle down the order and have less TOI, but not a bit of it. For better or worse he's retained his top billing and we'll just have to see how it plays out.

His poor clearing of the zone does worry me a bit, but his skating not so much. I think he's well aware of his limitations in that regard and he's done an excellent job of working out how to cover for them. Will he be able to cope with the extra pace and intensity of another postseason? There's a small risk that he won't, but I think he's odds-on to be just fine.

 

[BruinsFanMike82]

 

[TwineTickler]

I've always been a huge supporter of Chara even when so many loud voices wanted to dump him and he's still a very effective player who should get to play as long as he wants.

What's crazy is that so many people said it would be his speed that killed his career but his skating still isn't a problem in my eyes. What's hurting him lately is his passing and decision-making. The number of giveaways he's had this year is concerning. He doesn't seem to move it as quickly and confidently as before. His zone clears on the PK are worsening too.

Am I the only one who sees this?

The bolded is compounded by his lack of mobility, acceleration and speed/skating. He has long strides and can use his stick so it doesn't look like it's really hindering him, but it absolutely is. Less time to make better decisions and tighter windows to pass through with forecheckers closing on him leads to exactly what you see. Still effective, and I love him, but I am so excited to see the fully mobile Dcore once he hangs up his skates.

For the record, especially if you ask my dad, he's always been bothered by Chara just flipping pucks out and not making the smart play or whatever even going back 10 years... it's becoming more and more a problem as his skating deteriorates.

 

[Over the volcano]

No offense to your dad TT, but it's a little bit crazy to be bothered by Chara's play on this team over the last 10 years.

 

[BruinsBtn]

The bolded is compounded by his lack of mobility, acceleration and speed/skating. He has long strides and can use his stick so it doesn't look like it's really hindering him, but it absolutely is. Less time to make better decisions and tighter windows to pass through with forecheckers closing on him leads to exactly what you see. Still effective, and I love him, but I am so excited to see the fully mobile Dcore once he hangs up his skates.

For the record, especially if you ask my dad, he's always been bothered by Chara just flipping pucks out and not making the smart play or whatever even going back 10 years... it's becoming more and more a problem as his skating deteriorates.

I don't think it's a speed issue. There have been so many times when he has time and space and just gives the puck away. It never used to be that way.

 

[TwineTickler]

No offense to your dad TT, but it's a little bit crazy to be bothered by Chara's play on this team over the last 10 years.

Haha oh I'm not offended. I would always be like "pops calm down, he's f***ing 6'9 on skates... he's not going to look like Orr out there and the good for outweighs the bad". I was just pointing out that his propensity to make some poor decisions with the puck has been around his entire career simply because of his size/lack of mobility.

 

[BruinsFanMike82]

 

[bob27]

He wasn't bad puck mover by any means in his prime. Right now though, yeah it'd be prudent to cut his minutes by a lot.

 

[Chief Nine]

But he should be jailed I tell you!! Suspended and banned from the game!!!

 

[BruinsFanMike82]

 

[Alicat]

That Callahan tweet made me chuckle.

 

[The National]

Such a class act.

Opposing fans may not think so but the opposing players that he’s beating up and shooting pucks at do.

 

[Gee Wally]

Zdeno Chara still a big reason why the Bruins are successful - The Boston Globe

UNIONDALE, N.Y. — June 22, 1996, the day Zdeno Chara was drafted into the NHL, a third-round pick (56th overall) by the New York Islanders.

Feb. 29, 2020, the day Zdeno Chara went back to Nassau Coliseum and helped the Bruins beat the Islanders, 4-0.

Twenty-four years and more than 1,300 games since the Islanders traded away Chara, the man they call Big Z is still going strong, doing his job on this particular Saturday afternoon by helping anchor a defense that led the Bruins with 7 points. Chara wasn’t on that part of Saturday’s stat sheet (which included a goal and two assists for Charlie McAvoy, a goal from Matt Grzelcyk, two assists from Torey Krug, and one from Brandon Carlo), but his 21:49 of ice time and 25 shifts were second only to Carlo. Chara is, without doubt, as integral a piece to this Stanley Cup-hopeful puzzle as anyone on the Bruins’ roster, a testament not only to personal longevity but also to professional excellence.


“I’ll be completely honest, it’s easy to take it for granted sometimes because he’s such a great professional and he just goes about his business and keeps his mouth shut and works so hard,” Krug said in the locker room after the game. “Before the game I was kind of looking around, being in this building again as we were a few years ago and thinking about Z and his younger years playing for the Islanders. That actually did cross my mind, so it’s funny you bring that up.”

That Chara is still doing the same work today, leading his teammates through all the correct doors, even smiling at some familiar faces along the way, well, that is something worth stopping to appreciate.

“He’s not along for the ride, that’s the thing,” Krug said. “He’s our leader, and everything we need of him in order to win hockey games. If you look around the league there’s not many guys his age leading the way, so it’s pretty special.”

“There are some numbers that you just won’t be able to wear, and that’s going to be one of them,” said teammate Brad Marchand, whose beautiful wraparound goal midway through the third period made it 3-0 and really put this game away. “He’s earned that right. Good for him. It’s pretty incredible, the legacy he’s built. I’m sure he’s got a lot of good memories whenever he comes back here. It’s fun to hear stories from way back in the day about the way it was when he came in. It was a different game back then, a different life.”


It was Goring who said this to the Globe a few years ago, recalling his time as Islanders coach and what he said to then-owner Charles Wang in an exit interview.

“He asked me for an appraisal of his team. And I told him, point blank, ‘I know you are thinking of trading Chara. Do not do that. It will be the biggest mistake you make in your life. Do not trade this guy.’ ”

And with a hearty chuckle, Goring added, “He didn’t listen to me.”

 

[Troublesome 85]

Hes gonna be a great future Bruins coach(defense and then head)

 

[Over the volcano]

He’s played more minutes this regular season than last (now that he’s healthy) still gets rolled out against top opposing lines and is taking defensive zone starts at a higher rate than he’s ever done. IMO he’s got at least 2 more years in him barring a freak injury.

 

[8thRoundPick]

He’s played more minutes this regular season than last (now that he’s healthy) still gets rolled out against top opposing lines and is taking defensive zone starts at a higher rate than he’s ever done. IMO he’s got at least 2 more years in him barring a freak injury.

I'm not sure about that. His foot speed is a concerning liability for me at this point. Will he be fit enough to play and compete physically? I can't see why not, he's an incredible athlete. But the more games I watch where McAvoy needs to cover for his lack of foot speed, the more I wonder if this is his last cup run.

 

[Krupp]

There were moments in the Tampa game where he seemed to struggle to keep up with opposing players in the defensive zone. If he didn't have that reach, I think he wouldn't be nearly as effective as he is.

That said I love the guy. If this is his last run I truly hope they go all the way and finish through with the Cup at the end. Either way Chara will always have my respect. Fews guys could handle the rigors of the game at 43 years old