Alex Ovechkin hopes Zdeno Chara can prove Boston made a mistake originally appeared on NBC Sports Washington
Capitals defenseman Zdeno Chara is as familiar with the Bruins as any player in the league after spending the last 14 years playing in Boston. Now, in his first season in Washington, he'll get to use that experience to his advantage as the Caps and Bruins are set to square off in the opening round of the NHL postseason.
Ahead of Game One on Saturday, Alex Ovechkin spoke about what Chara has brought to the table so far for the franchise, and also what he expects to see from his fellow veteran in the playoffs.
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"He’s professional, he’s a great person, great leader, obviously has lots of experience," Ovechkin told NBC Sports Washington about Chara. "I think it’s going to be a very good moment for him to show they made a mistake to let him go, and he will play hard, we will play hard as well."
Related: Capitals, Bruins not focused on Zdeno Chara reunion as Game 1 approaches
Chara had two goals and eight assists in 55 regular season games with the Capitals, and the Bruins still made the postseason without the big man in town. But while Boston may not have missed him too much in the regular season, Ovechkin is confident Chara will be making his presence felt with the Stanley Cup on the line.
"I think we all understand the playoffs is a totally different game. And he’s been in the Stanley Cup Final a couple times, he won the Cup," Ovechkin said of Chara. "He knows exactly what you have to do."
Game One of the opening round of the playoffs begins Saturday at 7:15 on NBC. When the puck drops, the Caps are hoping Chara's experience and familiarity with their opponent can help get them over the top and back into another deep postseason run.
For the full interview with Ovechkin, tune in to Capitals Pregame Live at 6 p.m. as the entire crew previews the Caps' postseason series against the Bruins ahead of Game One.
