Chara leads by example with epic one-legged penalty kill originally appeared on NBC Sports Washington
When the Capitals signed Zdeno Chara in December, they knew they were getting leadership toughness and a steady defenseman to play on the third pair. They probably did not anticipate they would be getting a 44-year-old who would be willing to put his body on the line in a penalty kill in April with only 12 games left in the regular season, but that's exactly what they got on Saturday.
Leading 4-2 against the Philadelphia Flyers in the second period, Evgeny Kuznetsov was called for tripping with 2:04 remaining. The Flyers had scored with one second left in the first period and looked poised again to score another late-period goal. On the penalty kill, Chara took a puck off the back right foot, right in the boot where there is very little padding and went down. The power play continued, however, and with no opportunity to get off the ice, Chara pulled himself back up and played through it in what turned out to be an epic penalty kill.
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Chara famously broke his jaw in Game 4 of the 2019 Stanley Cup Final, then returned to start Game 5. Taking a skate to the boot may pale in comparison, but Saturday's game was not a Stanley Cup Final game. It was a regular-season game in April and a game in which the Caps led by two.
Chara, however, was not going to stay down on the ice.
"For him to get up and continue to battle through that shift and feel the sting of that going on his feet, that’s a tough situation and he was unbelievable handling that and continued on through the kill," Caps head coach Peter Laviolette said.
Chara continued making plays. He planted himself in front of the net and, from there, he made a key play to knock a loose puck in the crease out of the air and away from danger.
"The boys were going nuts on the bench," T.J. Oshie said. "We were hitting the boards for the rest of the period and a lot of guys went out there and gave him a tap on the behind once the period ended there."
Chara actually took another puck to the right foot during the penalty kill, but incredibly stayed on his feet and heaved the puck clear with the backhand out of the defensive zone. Still, he had no opportunity to come off the ice and ultimately played out the rest of the period with the puck hitting him a third time, this time in the left foot, just before time expired.
But Chara and the penalty kill stood tall and he was immediately swarmed by several teammates who showed their appreciation for his efforts.
From 2006 to 2020, Chara wore the C for the Boston Bruins. At 43, however, Boston wanted him back at a reduced role for 2021 and Chara decided to walk away. Now 44, Chara has played in all 45 games for the Caps and remains a consistent presence on the third defensive pair and on the penalty kill. In the 1,598th game of his career, he is still showed that he is willing to lay it all out on the line every time he takes the ice. He is leading by example and his teammates are taking notice.
"It shows you the commitment level I think that Z has to our team and to winning and to doing what it takes," Oshie said.
He added, "Chara's played in some very important games and right now we're in a game towards the end of the regular season he's still putting his body on the line. It sets a good example for the rest of the guys to follow."
