With Chara out, it's time for Dougie Hamilton to gain leadership and experience.
For the past week I've been trying to write a post about the many ways the Boston Bruins could benefit from having Zdeno Chara out of the lineup for a couple of months. Of course, the first set back to that post was time as I had a busy week. Then I finally got a chance to get it almost finished when I inadvertently unplugged my laptop and lost 75% of it. Now here it is Saturday and two games later and I'm finally going to give you my two cents.
EXPERIENCE- In case you hadn't noticed, the Bruins have a lot of young talented players on the team. Having Chara out of the lineup gives these guys experience. When originally planning this post I had guys like Hamilton and Krug in mind. Now with Krug out, Joe Morrow will get his chance.
SPECIAL TEAMS- Chara has been a mainstay on both the penalty kill and powerplay forever. Not having him there gives Claude the chance to change things up and see what other players can do in these situations. While not having Chara on a penalty kill may result in a lot more shots on net and goals given up in the short term, it should help the team down the line.
LEADERSHIP- Being the huge, well-decorated elder-statesman, Chara is a team leader both in the locker room and on the ice. Without him in the lineup, the Bruins will need to find more leadership from within. Once again, this is a place where a guy like Dougie Hamilton may find a chance to shine. Believe it or not, I also see this as an opportunity for bad boy Brad Marchand to earn a new and improved reputation.
SPECIAL TEAMS- Chara has been a mainstay on both the penalty kill and powerplay forever. Not having him there gives Claude the chance to change things up and see what other players can do in these situations. While not having Chara on a penalty kill may result in a lot more shots on net and goals given up in the short term, it should help the team down the line.
LEADERSHIP- Being the huge, well-decorated elder-statesman, Chara is a team leader both in the locker room and on the ice. Without him in the lineup, the Bruins will need to find more leadership from within. Once again, this is a place where a guy like Dougie Hamilton may find a chance to shine. Believe it or not, I also see this as an opportunity for bad boy Brad Marchand to earn a new and improved reputation.
REST- Heading into last postseason, all we talked about was how we needed to rest Chara. Then the post season came and we talked about how Chara was tired. Well, here we are in November and Chara is going to get some rest. While injuries are never good, this one does give him the opportunity to let his 37 year old body recuperate while allowing him to be ready a few months before the playoffs.
If you like what you've read here, share with your friends and follow @BOSsportschick on twitter.
RSS Feed
