This story originally ran in BruinsZone.com on March 10, 2011.

By Nick Tavares

With Zdeno Chara officially cleared of malicious intent for his hit on Montreal’s Max Pacioretty, the Bruins (38-20-8, 84 points) move their focus to tonight’s home game against the Buffalo Sabres (32-26-8, 72 points). Stephen Harris of the Boston Herald reports that coach Claude Julien is tweaking the lines, switching Rich Peverly and Mark Recchi for tonight.

With defensemen Steve Kampfer (concussion) still out and Andrew Ference (upper body) skating but not quite ready, rookie Matt Bartkowski will remain with the parent club for tonight’s game. No word yet on whether Tim Thomas or Tuukka Rask will get the nod in net tonight, but the bet here is on Thomas. With all that in mind, look for these lines tonight:

Forwards:

17 Lucic … 46 Krejci … 18 Horton

63 Marchand … 37 Bergeron … 49 Peverly

73 Ryder … 23 Kelly … 28 Recchi

19 Seguin/20 Paille … 11 Campbell … 22 Thornton

Defense:

33 Chara … 43 Bartkowski

12 Kaberle … 44 Seidenberg

54 McQuaid … 55 Boychuck

Goal:

30 Thomas

40 Rask

Last thoughts on Chara, Pacioretty

If you missed it, my thoughts on Chara’s hit on Pacioretty were brief, but to repeat: the NHL determined that there was no malicious intent in the hit. It was a quick play, one deserving of the penalty but not further action. Nothing in Chara’s history has shown him to be a dirty player. He’s a physical player who’s size, frame and strength give him a tremendous advantage over players at times, and he has shown a tendency to reel that in when possible.

This was an instance where it got away from him. Some fans, notably those in Montreal, have called for him to be arrested — funny, coming from a group who has a tendency to riot following first-round playoff victories. Others have said that Chara knew exactly where he was on the ice, and did it intentionally, including Pacioretty himself. I don’t see it, and I don’t see how any intent could be proven in this case.

This wasn’t a head shot, this was a check with a horrible outcome. There’s a difference, and the league ruled correctly on this matter.