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Bruins’ Chara had ‘multiple fractures’ to his jaw

2019 NHL Stanley Cup Final - Game Seven

BOSTON, MASSACHUSETTS - JUNE 12: Zdeno Chara #33 of the Boston Bruins warms up prior to Game Seven of the 2019 NHL Stanley Cup Final against the St. Louis Blues at TD Garden on June 12, 2019 in Boston, Massachusetts. (Photo by Bruce Bennett/Getty Images)

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It was widely reported, and even assumed, that Boston Bruins defender Zdeno Chara suffered a broken jaw when he was hit in the face by a puck during the Stanley Cup Final against the St. Louis Blues.

Chara confirmed all of those reports on Friday during the Bruins’ end of season media availability when he revealed that he had “several fractures” to his jaw.

The Bruins announced that the expected recovery time is 5-6 weeks.

Chara was injured when a shot deflected off his stick and struck him in the face during the Bruins’ Game 4 loss to the Blues. While he returned to the bench that night to watch the third period, he missed the remainder of the game as the Bruins were forced to finish with only five defenders for the second time in the series. They ended up losing both of those games.

He returned for Games 5, 6 and 7 of the series and played in a greatly reduced role. After averaging more than 22 minutes per game he logged just 16, 22, and 16 minutes in the remaining three games of the series. The Bruins ended up losing Games 5 and 7 on home ice, allowing the Blues to win their first ever Stanley Cup.

The 42-year-old Chara signed a one-year extension with the team earlier this season and finished with five goals and nine assists in 62 regular season games, before adding two goals and four assists in the playoffs.

Before he was injured in the Stanley Cup Final, he also sat out the series clinching Game 4 win of the Bruins’ Eastern Conference Final series against the Carolina Hurricanes with a lower-body injury.

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Adam Gretz is a writer for Pro Hockey Talk on NBC Sports. Drop him a line at phtblog@nbcsports.com or follow him on Twitter @AGretz.