Patrice Bergeron and Zdeno Chara of the Boston Bruins pose with the Deputy Commissioner Bill Daly and the Prince of Wales Trophy after defeating the Carolina Hurricanes in Game 4 to win the Eastern Conference Finals during the 2019 NHL Stanley Cup Playoffs at PNC Arena on May 16, 2019 in Raleigh, North Carolina. (Photo by Bruce Bennett/Getty Images)
By Matt Dolloff, 985TheSportsHub.com
Zdeno Chara isn’t expected to be out of the Bruins lineup for long.
Head coach Bruce Cassidy said after Thursday’s win that Chara should be good to go for the B’s in Game 1 of the Stanley Cup Final. The B’s did not need their captain to finish off the Carolina Hurricanes, completing a four-game sweep in the Eastern Conference Final by a 4-0 score.
Chara missed practice on Wednesday then missed Game 4 due to an undisclosed injury, but Cassidy does not consider it to be serious. Clearly, Chara was healthy enough to hit the ice and get his picture taken with the Prince of Wales trophy as an Eastern Conference champion. The captain should continue to be a key defender for the Bruins when he gets back, regardless of who they face in the next round.
Speaking of that, the Stanley Cup Final has no official start date yet. But if the Western Conference Final goes the distance, the series could start as late as Monday, May 27. The Bruins await the winner of the series between the San Jose Sharks and St. Louis Blues.
Both teams boast size and skill at the forward positions, which will make the 42-year-old Chara a very important piece of the B’s quest to finish the job and hoist the Stanley Cup for the first time since 2011.
Matt Dolloff is a digital producer for 985TheSportsHub.com. Any opinions expressed do not necessarily reflect those of 98.5 The Sports Hub, Beasley Media Group, or any subsidiaries. Have a news tip, question, or comment for Matt? Follow him on Twitter @mattdolloff or email him at matthew.dolloff@bbgi.com.