Zdeno “Thanos” Chara still has no problem dropping the gloves

By Ty Anderson, 985TheSportsHub.com

With the Islanders down a goal and having landed measly two shots on goal in the first period of Tuesday’s beatdown at the hands of the Bruins, Matt Martin came calling in search of a fight.

He found an opponent — though suggesting they were on equal footing in this scrap may be kind, even if you give Martin some extra points for his courage alone — in Bruins captain Zdeno Chara.

…That was a mistake.

In what was a considerably one-sided beatdown, the 42-year-old Chara simply thrived given his reach advantage, as the 6-foot-3 Martin visibly struggled to get any sort of edge on Chara, even from a straight-up positioning standpoint.

Simply watching Martin, an accomplished fighter with size (his battles with Adam McQuaid have always been must-watch tilts), struggle to even get a shot or two in upstairs on Chara spoke to just how difficult it is to fight the 6-foot-9 Boston captain.

It’s basically like trying to fight a tree.

At least that’s what I thought until Bruins winger Brad Marchand corrected me: He’s just a big mean man.

Marchand’s tweet also opened the doors to the confirmation that Chara’s nickname, Thanos, which was first brought to light by Jake DeBrusk after Big Z tuned up the Sharks’ Evander Kane in a fight last month, is more than legit.

No word as to whether or not Martin has an Infinity Stone-sized mark on his forehead.

Ty Anderson is a writer and columnist for 985TheSportsHub.com. He has also been a voting member of the Boston Chapter of the Professional Hockey Writers’ Association since 2013. Any opinions expressed do not necessarily reflect those of 98.5 The Sports Hub, Beasley Media Group, or any subsidiaries. Yell at him on Twitter @_TyAnderson.