Chara Treated For Dehydration, Game Time Decision

Added on Apr 16, 2011 by J Merrill in

NHL

Boston head coach Claude Julien confirmed the reports that Zdeno Chara was treated at a local hospital for dehydration, but Julien isn’t worried about his availability for game two. Julien is saying that he can’t worry about the chance of him not playing until he hears the final word that Chara won’t eb playing, and that decision will not be coming from him. Julien said “Until our medical staff tells us he can’t go, he’s in tonight, I’m certainly not going to be the guy making the final decision. Our medical people are, but they have yet to tell him that he can’t go.”

The Boston Herald ran a story on Friday evening that Chara had sought medical treatment, but everyone is being very quiet as to the details or the circumstances. Many analysts agreed that the defenseman did not look like himself in game one against Montreal, and played far less then he usually does. He typically plays more then all of the other defensemen in Boston, and he looked slower then usual. Montreal forwards were skating right by him on break aways on Thursday, and he was losing puck battles that he normally would have won hands down. In 77 career playoff games, Chara has 7 goals and 20 assists. This regular season, the perennial All-Star had 14 goals and 30 assists.

If they determine that Chara won’t be available for the game, Shane Hindy will most likely be skating in his place. Hindy was picked up in February as a free agent, and skated with the team for a month before seeing some ice time with the team. After Boston already secured their spot in the playoffs, Hindy played in 3 games. He didn’t have any points in his 3 appearances, and spent 2 minutes in the penalty box.

Some of the players didn’t find out that Chara was treated until they showed up at morning skate, and many stressed the importance of having Chara on the ice. Boston forward Shawn Thornton implied that the whole dynamic might change if he isn’t able to skate tonight. He said “He’s our leader, he’s our captain, he’s 6-foot-9, 260 pounds; he’s a big presence for us. He’s been one of our best players in the four years I have been here.”

Montreal has a game time decision of their own to deal with, as Andrei Kostitsyn took a Chara slap shot to the foot on Thursday night. Kostitsyn was hit in the first few minutes of the game, and spent most of the game in the locker room being checked out by team physicians. He did come back to play late in the game, but he has not been on the ice since the game ended. Montreal coach Jacques Martin confirmed that he did not suit up for the morning skate, and they would have to make a decision on him with the doctors closer to the start of the game.

Montreal is leading in the series 1-0.