Chara slowly getting up to speed

As reported by Barbara Matson

WILMINGTON — Zdeno Chara was one of only five Bruins who made it onto the ice at Ristuccia Arena Tuesday.

Coach Claude Julien gave the team another day off from skating — though the players all worked out in the gym instead — leaving only the recovering players Chara, Patrice Bergeron, and Andrew Alberts to skate with goalie Manny Fernandez and Tim Thomas.

Chara, who has missed five games with an upper-torso injury, looked good, taking all kinds of shots, including some slap shots. They had enough zing to give Thomas pause.
‘‘I was giving it up to Z,’’ Thomas said. ‘‘He was making some pretty good shots, for someone in that sort of controlled environment anyway.’’

Chara seemed impatient, perhaps with the injury, certainly with the questions. ‘‘It’s the same as yesterday,’’ he said. ‘‘It’s getting better — slowly.’’

Next up for the Bruins is a home-and-home series with Montreal, beginning Thursday at TD Banknorth Garden. Julien said the status of Chara, who is expected to take part in a full practice with the whole team Wednesday, will be a game-day decision.

Fernandez, the 33-year-old goalie acquired in the offseason who underwent left knee surgery in December, has been deemed physically ready to go. Julien is unlikely to disrupt his two-goalie rotation with Thomas and Alex Auld, and Fernandez knows his job right now is to going to be ‘‘going early and staying late after practice to work with [goalie coach] Bob [Essensa].’’

Also hitting the ice at Ristuccia was Zach Savard. He may be only 7, and it’s true he was wearing sneakers, but Marc Savard’s son showed his father’s deft touch in passing the puck — using a goalie stick!