33 Zdeno Chara D

Chara recorded an assist and four hits while logging 18:54 of ice time during Tuesday's 3-1 win over Pittsburgh.

The helper gives Chara two goals and four points in his last seven games. The former Norris Trophy-winner's best days may be behind him, but with five points in 14 games -- while seeing an average of 19:52 of ice time --the Capitals have to be very pleased with the returns thus far.

Chara had a goal on three shots and chipped in with two blocks Monday in a 5-3 loss to the Bruins.

Chara unleashed a quick point shot off a faceoff win to open the scoring 13:26 into the game. The first-year Capital is starting to chip in offensively with his new club, providing two goals and an assist over his last three games after posting just one helper in his first seven. Chara also ranks second on the team with a plus-8 rating.

Chara scored a goal and added an assist in a 6-3 win over the Islanders on Thursday.

Not only was it his first goal with the Caps, but it was also his first since Nov. 27, 2019. And it was patented Chara -- he wound up and fired a big slapper from just above the left circle that beat Semyon Varlamov. The big man skated 22:55 on the night, the second most on the Washington blue line. Chara's best is behind him, but even the most hardened Bruins fan would have smiled watching his pure joy of getting that goal.

Chara has passed his physicals and cleared COVID-related protocols, paving the way for him to take the ice Tuesday, Samantha Pell of The Washington Post reports.

Chara will have to wait until Wednesday to join the main group but is expected to hit the ice for Tuesday's afternoon session. The 43-year-old is expected to serve a depth role with the Capitals.

Chara was absent from Monday's practice due to quarantine protocols, Samantha Pell of The Washington Post reports.

Chara signed with Washington on Dec. 30 and is not yet eligible to take the ice. The 43-year-old is expected to hold down a third-pairing role with his new team this season.

Chara inked a one-year, $795,000 contract with Washington on Wednesday.

Shortly after Chara announced on social media that he wouldn't be returning to Boston, the Capitals made the move official, bringing in the towering defenseman. It will be the fourth team for the 43-year-old, though he'll no doubt be remembered for the 14 seasons he spent with the Bruins. Given he's not as fleet of foot as he used to be, Chara may have to settle for a spot on the third pairing.

Chara announced via a social media post that he won't be returning to the Bruins.

Chara joined the Bruins as a free agent back in July of 2006 and spent 14 years with the organization that included a 2009 Norris Trophy and 2011 Stanley Cup championship. Including his stints with the Islanders and Senators, the towering blueliner has appeared in 1553 games over his 22-year NHL career, racking up 205 goals, 451 assists and 1956 PIM. In addition, Chara has garnered another 70 points in 195 postseason contests. While there hasn't been anything official yet, there have been reports linking Chara to a move to Washington, per Ken Campbell of The Hockey Writers.

Coach Bruce Cassidy expects Chara (not injury related) to return to practice Tuesday, Steve Conroy of the Boston Herald reports.

Chara's results from his COVID-19 test weren't returned in time for him to participate in Monday's on-ice session, but it looks like he's officially been cleared. The 43-year-old blueliner is expected to skate on Boston's top pairing once round robin play gets underway.

Chara was kept out of Monday's practice session after his COVID-19 test wasn't returned in time.

Unless Chara's test comes back with a positive result, this is likely just the league being extra cautious within the hub cities. If the towering blueliner does miss any game action, it will likely fall to Matt Grzelcyk or Jeremy Lauzon to jump into the lineup.

Chara finished plus-2 across 22:34 in Sunday's 3-1 win over the Rangers.

Age isn't slowing down Chara, as the 42-year-old blueliner has averaged 21:05 per game since the All-Star break. He doesn't contribute much offensively and hasn't posted a point in 25 straight games, and he has limited fantasy value with 27 shots and 30 blocked shots in that stretch. However, he's a respected veteran and is used in a heavily defensive role, starting 63.3 percent of his shifts in the defensive zone.

Chara (jaw) is expected to be back in the lineup against the Islanders on Saturday, Conor Ryan of MassLive.com reports.

Chara got into a scrap with Nashville's Yakov Trenin on Tuesday and took a punch to his surgically repaired jaw, which led to him missing Thursday's matchup with Winnipeg. After some extra time off, the towering blueliner appears set to return to action Saturday.

Coach Bruce Cassidy said following Thursday's win over Winnipeg that he's not sure about Chara's (undisclosed) status for Saturday's game against the Islanders, Joe Haggerty of NBC Sports Boston reports.

Chara is reportedly dealing with serious pain stemming from his recent jaw surgery, and per Cassidy, he and general manager Don Sweeney had to talk Chara out of playing Thursday. Expect the team to be cautious with the veteran ahead of the team's upcoming three-game road trip. If Chara continues to miss time, Steve Kampfer is expected to stay with the big club and draw into the lineup.

Chara is not on the ice for warmups ahead of Thursday's game against the Jets, Conor Ryan of MassLive.com reports.

Chara recently underwent jaw surgery that has caused some issues recently and could be the cause of his absence. With Torey Krug (illness) available, it appears Chara will be given a night off, with Steve Kampfer set to draw back in for him.

Chara didn't record a point but notched seven PIM in Tuesday's 6-2 win over the Predators.

Chara's pointless streak has reached 10 games, and he failed to direct a shot on net in four of those outings despite averaging 21:10 of ice time in that stretch. The 42-year-old Chara dropped the gloves for the third time this season, though, as he faced off against Yakov Trenin, who is 20 years younger and seven inches shorter.

Chara (jaw), as expected, will be in the lineup versus the Sabres on Friday, Joe McDonald of The Athletic reports.

Chara missed just one game after having the hardware in his jaw replaced. The blueliner remains bogged down in a 12-game goalless streak and has added just one assist over that stretch. Even with his recent slump, the veteran could still reach the 30-point mark for the first time since 2015-16 after racking up 13 points in 37 contests to start the year.

Chara (jaw) will miss Monday's game against the Capitals, Fluto Shinzawa of The Athletic reports.

Chara will sit out the game due to a previously scheduled jaw surgery, stemming from his broken jaw he suffered in the Stanley Cup Playoffs last season. In his absence, John Moore (illness) or a call-up from AHL Providence will likely enter the lineup. Chara is expected back for Friday's game against the Sabres per Joe McDonald of The Athletic.

Chara ended Wednesday's 3-2 loss to the Capitals with one hit, three blocks and a fighting major.

Chara dropped the gloves with Tom Wilson halfway through the first period for his first fight of the season. Last season, the big man had three fights, but they all came after the New Year. Chara has five goals, 12 points and 46 shots in 32 games.

Chara scored the game-winning goal and posted a plus-2 rating in a 2-1 victory against the Senators on Wednesday.

With the marker, Chara already has five goals, matching what he did all of 2018-19. This was also his second game-winning score of this season, which also matches last season's total. Chara has five goals, 12 points, a plus-17 rating and 22 PIM in 25 games this season.

Chara recorded a helper in Tuesday's 8-1 blowout win over the Canadiens.

That makes three-straight games with an assist for Chara, the second time in the month of November that he picked up a point in three straight. With 11 points in 24 games, Chara is on pace for his best offensive output in six seasons.

Chara picked up an assist in a 3-2 win over the Sabres on Thursday.

His fifth assist of the season came after Brad Marchand tipped in his shot from the point to open the scoring for Boston. With nine points already this year, the big man is producing at his best pace since the 2014-15 campaign in which he ended with 37 points.