Zdeno Chara appears to have suffered a jaw injury after being hit by a puck during Game 4 of the Stanley Cup Final on Monday night.
The Boston Bruins defenseman blocked a Brayden Schenn shot early in the second period of his team’s 4-2 loss to the St. Louis Blues. The puck deflected off his stick and hit him in the lower right side of his face, leaving him bloodied. Chara skated off the ice and into the dressing room.
Though Chara returned to the Bruins’ bench for the third period wearing a full fishbowl, he did not play.
Zdeno Chara sporting the fishbowl. pic.twitter.com/FaIKFrkWSn
— Conor Ryan (@ConorRyan_93) June 4, 2019
Chara sat on the bench and was not talking, leading NBC Sports Network’s analysts to speculate after the game that he may have had a broken jaw.
TSN’s Frank Seravalli reported that Bruins sources told him a broken jaw for Chara was possible.
Does Zdeno Chara have a broken jaw? #NHLBruins sources suggesting it’s a possibility. Stay tuned to Cassidy postgame.
— Frank Seravalli (@frank_seravalli) June 4, 2019
Teammate Brandon Carlo said after the game that Chara was bleeding out of his mouth and couldn’t really talk, which led Joe Haggerty to say it sounded like a jaw injury.
Brandon Carlo said postgame that Zdeno Chara was bleeding out of his mouth and couldn’t really talk on the bench. And he didn’t play at all after getting hit in face with puck. Sure sounds like a jaw injury of some kind
— Joe Haggerty (@HackswithHaggs) June 4, 2019
Chara was advised not to return to the game, which is why he did not play after suffering it. Bruins coach Bruce Cassidy said he is not sure about Chara’s status for Game 5 and that the captain would be reexamined in Boston.
Bruce Cassidy says Chara was “advised not to return” but he wanted to be with his teammates. Cassidy is unsure of Chara’s status for Game 5 and says he’ll “have to look at Steven Kampfer” if Chara can’t go. #NHLBruins
— Frank Seravalli (@frank_seravalli) June 4, 2019
Cassidy also said Chara had some stitches and will probably need some dental work.
The 42-year-old defenseman missed Game 4 of the Eastern Conference final against the Carolina Hurricanes with a lower body injury. He’s taken a beating during the Final and even suffered a bloody wrist blocking a shot in Game 1.
Game 5 of the series will be on Thursday in Boston.
