Screencap: NBCSW
Defenseman Zdeno Chara scored his first goal with the Washington Capitals in their game vs. the New York Islanders on Thursday. The tally was the final one of a five-goal second period for the Capitals after they trailed 3-0 through the first period.
ARE YOU NOT ENTERTAINED??? pic.twitter.com/LJrwGxcTw8
— Washington Capitals (@Capitals) January 29, 2021
After getting fed by defenseman Justin Schultz from the opposite side of the blue line, the 43-year-old scorched one past the blocker of Islanders goaltender Semyon Varlamov with 1:30 left in the second period. Chara’s teammates showed their excitement for him by hyping him up at the Capitals’ bench.
The goal was the 206th in Chara’s NHL career, the third-most among active defensemen (Montreal Canadiens’ Shea Weber: 219, San Jose Sharks’ Brent Burns: 212). Chara played his first 231 NHL games over four seasons with the Islanders from 1997-2001. The Islanders selected Chara with the 56th overall pick in the 1996 NHL Draft.
With the assist, his second of the game, Schultz extended his point streak to three games (where he has recorded two goals and six points).
Chara gets his first goal as a Capital before playing the Boston Bruins, his former team for 14 seasons, for the first time since leaving the Bruins to sign with the Capitals on December 30 as an unrestricted free agent. He was the captain of the team during his tenure in Boston.
By Harrison Brown
