Derek Stepan details challenges Bruins' Zdeno Chara faces with jaw injury

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Boston Bruins defenseman Zdeno Chara reportedly suffered a broken jaw in Game 4 of the Stanley Cup Final when a deflected puck hit his face, leaving him bloodied and forcing the B's captain to not play another minute  against the St. Louis Blues following his second-period exit.

Chara's status for Game 5 at TD Garden on Thursday night is uncertain, although B's head coach Bruce Cassidy didn't sound too optimistic Wednesday after the 42-year-old defenseman didn't practice.

One player who knows what Chara is dealing with right now is Derek Stepan, who suffered a similar injury during the 2014 Stanley Cup playoffs as a member of the New York Rangers. He recently talked with Sportsnet's Chris Johnston about the challenges this injury presents.

Stepan’s broken jaw cost him one game in the 2014 Eastern Conference Final and included a four-day layoff. The biggest challenge he faced after surgery was getting enough fuel into his body to withstand the rigours of playoff hockey.

"If you are eating anything, it’s very small pieces of chicken grinded up to nothing," said Stepan. "It takes a long time to eat. You’re not able to get as much in as you’d like, and the energy levels [suffer].

"You’re just playing so much, you’re practising every day, so the difficult thing is getting food into your system and there’s not a whole lot of options for you because you’re not really chewing anything."

Chara is arguably the toughest player in the NHL, and for that reason alone it wouldn't be shocking to see him play again in this series. Stepan is confident Chara can manage the situation if cleared to play.

"I think [Chara] will be just fine. He’s a pretty tough dude. He’s a lot tougher than me, so if I can do it, he’ll probably do it with ease."

How would the Bruins replace Chara if he doesn't play Thursday?

In short, they can't. No one else on the team can replace the size and leadership he brings to the ice. Chara also ranks among the team's best penalty killers, and that unit has been fantastic for the Bruins in the playoffs and this Cup Final, in particular.

There was one good development for the Bruins on Wednesday.

Matt Grzelcyk skated at practice wearing a no-contact jersey. It was the first time the young d-man had skated with the team since being knocked out of Game 2 on a dangerous hit from behind that put him into the concussion protocol. Grzelcyk's return would be a nice boost for Boston's battered blue line. His smooth skating and playmaking ability would help the B's alleviate the relentless pressure of the Blues' forecheck that was effective in St. Louis' Game 4 victory.

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