By Danny Picard
CSNNE.com
WILMINGTON -- The Bruins were without Zdeno Chara and Tim Thomas for Monday's practice at Ristuccia Arena. With the B's playing in Carolina on Tuesday night, it only made sense to let the two All Stars remain where the All-Star Game took place.
They also were without winger Nathan Horton for the final 20 minutes of Monday's hour-long session.Horton left practice early after suffering what he later called "just a little stinger."
Coach Claude Julien also didn't seem too concerned.
"He's fine," said Julien after Monday's practice. "Just a precaution. He just got banged up a little bit. By the time he was ready to come back on, we were done."
Julien didn't have much of an update on Marc Savard (concussion), but did say that the injured center will return to the team on either Tuesday or Wednesday, and will be re-evaluated further.
Julien stressed, however, that the main goal is for Savard to take care of himself for the sake of himself, not for the sake of the team.
Boston Bruins
Defenseman Steven Kampfer couldn't wait to replace his full shield with a half shield, and wasted no time doing so as he returned from the team's four-day break during All-Star weekend.
Kampfer broke his nose back on Jan. 15 after taking a Zdeno Chara high stick to the face, and has worn a full shield in his last six games. But team doctors cleared him, after the last game, to go back to his usual half shield, and he did just that for Monday's practice.
"As soon as I got back, I literally grabbed my helmet and said it was time to put the half-shield back on," said Kampfer. "It's not fun wearing the full shield. It's hard to breathe in, so it was good to put the half-shield back on and use it for practice."
Julien also commented on his two players who did make the All Star Game, and was pleased with the way they represented the Bruins in Carolina this past weekend.
"I was happy for Chara, to see him break his own record," said Julien. "It's something he really takes to heart, and takes a lot of pride in. He was able to accomplish that.
"And Tim, as usual, always represents us well. Whether it's having fun or the way he competes. We had some good people representing us there at the All Star Game, and made our organization proud."
Danny Picard is on Twitter at http:twitter.comDannyPicard. You can listen to Danny on his streaming radio show I'm Just Sayin'Monday-Friday from 9-10 a.m. on CSNNE.com.