Bruins' Zdeno Chara in Lineup for Game 5 After Jaw Injury
Defenseman Zdeno Chara is in the Bruins' lineup for Game 5 of the Stanley Cup Final against the Blues, the team announced on Thursday.
Chara took the ice on Thursday morning ahead of the game. He was struck in the face by a puck during Boston's 4–2 defeat in Game 4 and was forced to leave the game after falling to the ice bloodied. He returned to the bench in the third period but did not play again.
On Tuesday, The Athletic's Jeremy Rutherford reported that Chara suffered a broken jaw on the play. Bruce Cassidy said Chara's status will be a game-time decision with puck drop set for Thursday at 8 p.m. ET in Boston.
"At this time of the playoffs, everyone has injuries and there are challenges that you have to overcome to play," Chara said in a written response to a question. "I’m no different than any player on either team."
The series is tied at 2–2.