Zdeno Chara Injury: Update on Bruins Star's Lower Body Injury

Boston Bruins defenseman Zdeno Chara left Saturday's game against the Columbus Blue Jackets with a lower body injury.

The extent of the injury is not known at this time. It looked like Chara hurt his leg in a tie up with Blue Jackets forward Antoine Vermette during the second period.

The Bruins captain left the game with six minutes to go in the second period and did not return.

UPDATE: Dec. 11 at 11:55 a.m. ET

According to Rotoworld, Zdeno Chara was walking after last night's game versus the Blue Jackets.

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"After the game, Chara was walking without noticeable discomfort. Chara, who was not available for comment after the game, traveled to Boston with the team last night and was scheduled to be reevaluated upon his return."

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How will the injury affect the roster?

The good news for the Bruins is that they have tremendous depth on defense. Joe Corvo was quite impressive on Saturday night, collecting his first two goals of the season.

Johnny Boychuk has played with Chara on the top defensive pairing this year, and Dennis Seidenberg played alongside the captain during the playoffs last season.

If Chara misses a few games or more, expect Steven Kampfer to have a regular spot in the lineup.

Here is what the Bruins pairings could look like without Chara.

Johnny Boychuk	Dennis Seidenberg
Andrew Ference	Adam McQuaid
Joe Corvo	Steven Kampfer

Impact of Chara's Injury

Chara is the team's best defenseman and has played like a Norris Trophy candidate this season. He is a huge pain for opposing teams defensively, and his booming slap shot really helps the power play. His play in the defensive zone is mightily important to the team's success.

He is the shut down d-man that stops the other team's best offensive players. Chara simply is the MVP of the Bruins. If he is out for a long period of time, it would be a huge loss for the Bruins.

Chara had 14 points in the month of November.

What They're Saying

Boston Bruins insider for CSNNE.com Joe Haggerty tweeted the following about Chara's injury after Saturday's game.

Check back with this article for new updates as they become available on Zdeno Chara's injury and how it will affect the Bruins.

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Nicholas Goss is a Boston Bruins featured columnist for Bleacher Report and was the organization's on-site reporter for the 2011 Stanley Cup Finals in Boston.