Expected to start his 2014-15 season over Thursday night, Boston Bruins captain Zdeno Chara is bound to draw excessive scrutiny in his team’s tilt with the Chicago Blackhawks.
Based on Wednesday’s practice report from the team’s website, Chara’s long-awaited return for this game is all over but the formal confirmation. The team’s Twitter feed added after Thursday’s morning skate that head coach Claude Julien said, "Chara not ‘officially’ in lineup yet for tonight ‘but I’m counting on him.’”
Under that promising prognosis, some of that scrutiny surrounding Chara is understandable. But even if he plays, more of the critical attention belongs to his presumptive defensive partner, and eventual successor, Dougie Hamilton.
If the future is not as good as the present by now, it ought to be closer than before. Thursday’s matchup, especially under all of the circumstances, should be a top-notch test on that front.
Thursday night will not merely be a question of how Hamilton handles the potent Hawks, with or without Chara’s help. It will ...
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Article written by Al Daniel
Why Dougie Hamilton Is the Real Boston Bruin to Watch Against Chicago Blackhawks
December 11th, 2014 by Al Daniel Leave a reply »
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