Zdeno Chara was one of the biggest draws of the NHL’s 2011 all-star weekend and he’s also a huge reason the Boston Bruins remain in the top 10 of THN.com’s NHL Power Rankings.
The 33-year-old blueliner, who signed a seven-year, $45.5-million contract extension in October, leads Boston in even strength time on ice average (20:02), shorthanded time on ice (2:50), power play time on ice (3:14), plus/minus (plus-22) and average shifts per game (29.7).
With 10 goals and 16 assists in 50 games this season, he is on pace to finish with 16 goals and 42 points, very close to the seven goals and 44 points he amassed for the Bruins last year. Chara is Mr. Consistent in the offense department: Since 2003, he never has ended a season with fewer than 25 assists and 41 points.
The first half of February promises to be a difficult one for Chara and his teammates, as the Bruins take on Detroit (twice), Dallas and Montreal by the 13th. But the latter half of the month appears to be much easier. Boston begins a six-game road trip against the sad-sack Islanders and Senators, then head west for matchups against Calgary, Vancouver and Edmonton, before returning to Ottawa for a March 1 game.
The Hockey News ranks the teams 1-30 each Monday based on a combination of last week’s play and a squad’s overall outlook.
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