Last night’s 5-3 victory over the Columbus Blue Jackets proved costly for the Boston Bruins.
B’s captain Zdeno Chara collided with Antoine Vermette late in the second period and didn’t return to the contest. It’s being classified as a lower-body injury, though judging by the video (which you can see here) his left knee appeared to buckle upon contact with Vermette.
“Right now he’s being evaluated,” Bruins coach Claude Julien told NHL.com. “I don’t know how serious it is. All I was told was that he wouldn’t come back in the third and that he had a lower-body injury.”
Fluto Shinzawa of the Boston Globe noted Chara was walking without noticeable discomfort after the game and traveled back to Boston last night for re-evaluation. The Bruins’ next game is Tuesday night at home against Los Angeles.
Losing Chara -- who’s off to a stellar start -- would be tough for the Bruins. He leads all B’s defensemen in goals (with six, tying him for second in the league) and averages over 25 minutes a night, usually lining up against the opposition’s best forwards.