from Fluto Shinzawa of the Boston Globe,

In the last 30 days, Zdeno Chara played in five NHL games and four Olympic matches, carried his country’s flag, and traveled to and from Sochi, Russia. The punishing workload is showing up in the captain’s legs.

Since returning from the Olympics, Chara’s top-end speed has flagged. In Buffalo last Wednesday night, Matt D’Agostini blew past Chara in overtime to score the winning breakaway goal. The Rangers, quick to stretch out the Bruins, slipped behind Chara several times Sunday night.

It is imperative for the Bruins to acquire defensive reinforcements before Wednesday’s trade deadline. They need an experienced left-shot defenseman to assume some of Dennis Seidenberg’s responsibilities in the playoffs.

But the Bruins also must distribute some of Chara’s minutes before the playoffs begin.

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