Chara hurt blocking shot

MONTREAL -- The Bruins beat the Canadiens last night, 3-1, before 19,591 at the Bell Centre, but they received a huge scare in the first period when $37.5 million strongman Zdeno Chara was injured while blocking a Sheldon Souray slap shot.

Chara, who lost his stick prior to the block, looked to be in serious pain and appeared to be favoring his left leg as he struggled to the bench. Chara finished the period, even scoring the Bruins' first goal and playing 9 minutes 52 seconds in the first 20 minutes, but did not play the rest of the game.

Chara was spotted after the game walking outside the dressing room but was not available for comment. Upon consultation with the training staff, coach Dave Lewis said the club kept Chara out the final two periods to ice and elevate his foot. Lewis did not specify which foot was hit. Lewis said Chara will be evaluated today.

``Here's what it is," Lewis said. ``Chara's blocked shot with no stick on Sheldon Souray was the defining moment. It was like a measuring stick for what our team is all about. That standard now has been set. He didn't have to. It's preseason. Yet that's the way he plays. If the top guys on the team play like that, everybody better play like that."

Hannu Toivonen stopped 24 of 25 shots in 40 minutes. Jeff Hoggan scored the second goal and Brad Boyes added an empty-netter.

As of yesterday, the Bruins who competed in the two-game road series against the Canadiens were still in contention for a job with the big club.

Everyone except Brian Finley.

The 25-year-old goalie, who played the third period in last night's win and Tuesday's 5-2 victory, will open the season in Providence, where he'll most likely split time with Jordan Sigalet. Coach Dave Lewis confirmed yesterday he'll go with Toivonen and Tim Thomas in Boston to start the season.

``It's tough," said Finley, who stopped all nine shots he faced last night after allowing one goal on two shots Tuesday. ``There's only two spots on every team. Hopefully I'll just play well and, if it's not Boston, I'll get an opportunity."

Finley said he drew interest from three or four teams this summer before signing with Boston July 17. It's been a rough professional ride for Finley, once considered a hotshot prospect. He was an up-and-comer in the OHL, playing for Barrie and winning league Goaltender of the Year honors in 1998-99. That year and in the following season, he played for Team Canada in the World Junior Championships, the premier international tournament for teenage talent.

In 1999, the Nashville Predators selected Finley No. 6 overall, making him the first goalie in that year's draft. Finley was picked ahead of current NHL netminders Alex Auld (40th) and Ryan Miller (138th).

But during the 2000-01 season, when he split time with Barrie and Brampton, Finley was in and out of the lineup (he played 27 games) with what he thought was a pulled groin. He'd miss several weeks. Then he'd try to return. And fail. And feel even worse.

Finally, Finley visited a specialist who diagnosed him with a groin tear. In 2001, Finley had the damaged piece of muscle removed, sidelining him for the entire 2001-02 season.

``It's tough coming back from that, not playing for almost two years," said Finley. ``Your confidence takes a hit. It's tough battling back from that. But that's the hand I've been dealt. Hopefully I'll battle back to the NHL some day."

In 2002-03, Finley made his NHL debut in Nashville, playing 47 minutes in one game. That season, he bounced between the AHL (Milwaukee) and ECHL (Toledo) while trying to bounce back from the 2001 surgery. Finley spent the last three years in Milwaukee, getting in one NHL start with the Predators last season in which he allowed seven goals.

``I had a lot of injuries in Nashville and a lot of expectations," Finley said. ``It was tough. It seemed like every time I was coming into my own, I got hurt. Whereas here, I just feel like no one knows me and I can just go about my business and play my game."

Finley, who catches with his right hand, described himself as a butterfly goalie who doesn't sit as far back in the net as Toivonen. Last year in Milwaukee, Finley went 18-7-2 with a 2.70 goals-against average and a .908 save percentage.

Lewis and the front office -- general manager Peter Chiarelli, assistant GM Jeff Gorton, director of player personnel Jim Benning, and director of player development Don Sweeney made the trip -- planned to discuss the next round of cuts on the plane ride home. They would be the first roster moves made since Monday, when the club released Billy Tibbetts, invited to camp for the ``Be A Bruin" NESN show. Lewis said he didn't have a target roster number in mind for this weekend's games against the Islanders in New Brunswick and Nova Scotia . . . Lewis wants two scoring lines, a defensive line, and a fourth line that includes a mix of players such as a faceoff specialist or energy guy. P.J. Axelsson, Wayne Primeau, and Shean Donovan are checking-line candidates. But the Bruins also skated Phil Kessel at center Tuesday, meaning Lewis could have three skill lines at times. Kessel played left wing last night alongside Marc Savard (who had an assist) and Glen Murray. ``He looked pretty good at center," Lewis said of Kessel. ``He was in the right position defensively down low a couple times. Offensively, I don't think he'll have big problems." . . . During yesterday's morning skate, Toivonen broke both of his sticks. After the session, he unwrapped four new Montreal brand sticks and taped them in preparation for the game . . . Ex-Bruin Sergei Samsonov played in his first exhibition game against his old club, seeing 19:59 of ice time. ``I thought we played a pretty solid game," said Samsonov. ``We get one of those goals, it's a different game." . . . Sean Coady, the Bruins' former director of pro scouting and player development, was hired by the San Jose Sharks Monday. Coady will be San Jose's director of pro scouting . . . The Canadiens held a press conference yesterday morning at the Bell Centre to announce the retirement of Ken Dryden's No. 29 and Serge Savard's No. 18.

FROZEN TREATS Fluto Shinzawa provides news and notes from Bruins camp at www.boston.com/sports/bruins_blog.