There was zero hesitation from Zdeno Chara.
Defensive partner Charlie McAvoy quickly fed a pass over to Chara, who controlled the puck at the blue line, moved to his left, took five strides and unleashed a blistering slap shot from the top of the left faceoff circle. It beat Dallas Stars goalie Kari Lehtonen to the short side.
Just as important as Chara’s fourth goal of the season, there was zero hesitation when he stepped into it, which is a good sign given what happened on Saturday against the Canadiens when Chara’s shot struck Phillip Danault on the side of the head. It was a scary scene at Bell Centre as Danault lay motionless and was taken off the ice on a stretcher. The Canadiens announced Monday that Danault suffered a concussion.
After Monday’s game, a 3-2 overtime loss to the Dallas Stars at TD Garden, Chara said he’s talked with Danault a few times since Saturday.
“I reached out to Phillip right after the game to make sure he’s ok,” Chara said. “He texted me back and said he was doing fine. That’s positive and obviously very good news. It was very unfortunate. It’s something that happens quite often, but it’s something you never want to see. I’m very happy that he’s going to fully recover and hopefully he’s back on the ice (soon).”
This is not good
Danault on ice after a Chara slapper pic.twitter.com/rxoHRh8aGw
— HighLight Hockey (@HILITINGHOCKEY) January 14, 2018
ZDENO CHARA SLAMS A SLAPPER HOME! BRUINS WITHIN 1! pic.twitter.com/qyBthOxQo1
— NHL Daily 365 (@NHLDaily365) January 15, 2018