Zdeno Chara Back to 100 Percent; In Lineup

Chara will draw back into the lineup according to the John Bishop of BostonBruins.com, via Twitter. Make sure to put him back into your lineup for today’s game.

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UPDATE 12/16/11: Zdeno Chara took part in today’s practice according to Fluto Shinzawa of Boston.com; it marked the first time that the big man has been practicing with the team since getting hurt last Saturday. Chara, however, has been skating for the past three days.

When questioned, Chara said he had no setbacks and explained that the decision to play against the Flyers would be made tomorrow. Head coach Claude Julien said the team would have a better idea of his status after their flight.

Check back for an update tomorrow.

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UPDATE 12/15/11: As expected and according to NESN’s Naoko Funayama, via Twitter, Chara will not play tonight.

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Big Z took the ice today and was upgraded from out to a doubtful game-time decision according to John Bishop of BostonBruins.com, via Twitter. Even though we expect #33 to miss tonight’s game, he may be back in the lineup by the end of the week. Stay tuned for a further update from the club.

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UPDATE 12/12/11: After the original report, Chara may not miss that much time according to the team’s official Twitter. While the captain will likely miss tomorrow’s tilt against the Kings, he may not even miss the entire week. Check back frequently for his status as there may be changes on a game-to-game basis.

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UPDATE 12/12/11: According the Fluto Shinzawa of Boston.com, Chara will miss at least three games due to this leg injury. From there, Chara could be available for the always entertaining matchup between the Habs and Bruins which is scheduled for December 19th. However, the club could opt to rest him until after Christmas.

Sitting only two points out of the Eastern Conference lead, the Bruins have no need to rush their captain back into the lineup. Prior to getting hurt, the hulking defenseman scored five goals and 18 points through 27 games — picking up right where he left off last season. Expect Steven Kampfer to get back into the lineup for the time being and for the other five defenders to pickup some minutes collectively.

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ORIGINAL POST 12/10/11: Boston Bruins captain Zdeno Chara left tonight’s game after colliding with Columbus Blue Jackets forward Antoine Vermette. He would not return to the game.

Following the game, head coach Claude Julien would only add that it is a lower-body injury and he “didn’t know the severity.”

As soon as we know more we will update you on his status right here.