By Joe Haggerty
CSNNE.comBOSTONDon Cherry always has something to say when you find yourself in his corner.
Sometimes you dont like it, sometimes hes wildly inaccurate and sometimes he isas they always said in My Cousin Vinnydead on-balls accurate with his sharp-tongued hockey observations.Cherry spoke during the intermission between the first and second periods of Game Four at the Bell Centre, and hes got some issues with the way Zdeno Chara is competing in the playoff series against the Habs. There have been some whispers that Chara has experienced difficulty dealing with the trauma players like Max Pacioretty and Ryan Callahan getting injured on hockey plays initiated by the Bs Captain, and that its sapped some of the bite out of Charas intimidation game.
The greater likelihood is Chara is far less than 100 percent while still battling the illness that had him severely dehydratedand out for Game Two.There was little doubt Chara was fairly emotional about the Callahans broken leg after taking a Chara slapper directly off an unprotected area of his body, and was wondering to himself whether he should have eased off his 105.9-mph howitzer to spare Callahan potential injury.That kind of thingeven if its subconsciouscan take something from Charas game thats so dependent on competing hard and exuding an air of intimidation, and there does appear to be an inability -- or unwillingness -- to really get physical with the smaller, faster Habs players. Could it be to stay out of the penalty box?Could it be that Chara is still feeling weakened from whatever illness that caused him to miss Game Two? Could it be that Chara is trying to avoid injuring other players by virtue of simply being a 6-foot-9 inch tower of power simply playing good, hard, clean hockey?Only Chara knows for sure, but Cherry seems to think its a mentality that the Bs defensive stopper has relinquished since riding Pacioretty into the stanchion and causing several serious injuries from the hockey play.Ive got to say something. Bruins have to get Chara back to where everybody is afraid of him. Nobody is afraid of him anymore. I know hes been sick and stuff and everything like this, but hes been playing like this ever since the Pacioretty thing, said Cherry during his Coachs Corner segment on CBCs Hockey Night in Canada. He has to play like Pronger. Pronger is a force out there. He doesnt want to get a penalty. Anybody that gets near him, hes so afraid. Hes got to have guys afraid of him. A little push here. A little hit in the corner there. If youre going to go out, then youve got to go out on your shield and get them afraid of you.Is Cherry calling it like it is, or conjuring something out of thin air once again? Thats everyone to decide.On to the links:Dandy Don Cherry opines about Zdeno Charas soft playing during his Thursday night Coachs Corner on Hockey Night in Canada among other topics.Donald Brashear is going to pursue a career as an MMA fighter now that his NHL career is in the rear view mirror. Interesting move, but not sure its going to work out for him.In the something a little different department: A Baltimore Sun piece about Luther Anderson, a Maryland resident that plays the organ at the Verizon Center for the Washington Capitals.The Buffalo Sabres are waiting for some more production out of forward Brad Boyes after acquiring him down the stretch. Marc-Edouard Vlasic isnt battling through an injury, but instead coping with the death of a grandfather during the Stanley Cup playoffs in a San Jose Mercury News piece.Sidney Crosby has become Sid the Coach while sitting on the sidelines for the Pittsburgh Penguins in his comeback from a concussion. FOH (Friend of Haggs) Jesse Connolly of the New England Hockey Journalcomes up with the top 10 excuses for Andrew Ference throwing his unintentional bird at the Bell Centre crowd in Montreal during Game Four.Rob Simpson talks about the tale of two goaltenders going on in New York for MSG.com during the Stanley Cup playoffs.