Last Skate of the Day, February 9th, 2014

Feb 8, 2014; Boston, MA, USA; Ottawa Senators right wing

(25) reacts after a goal by Ottawa Senators defenseman

(46) (not pictured) during the third period against the Boston Bruins at TD Banknorth Garden. Mandatory Credit: Bob DeChiara-USA TODAY Sports

Zdeno Chara has become a sought-after star in the Sochi Olympics. He garnered world wide attention when he led the Slovakian team on the ice during the Parade of Nations. His 6’9″ frame was extremely hard to miss on camera. Now, he’s become an icon for his fellow Olympians. Dozens of Olympians have been getting their picture taken with the Bruins captain and have been putting them on social media. Here’s a selection of the best photos taken in Sochi. (Yahoo Finance)

The Bruins are going into the Olympic break. They are also on a hot streak, going 8-1-2 in their last eleven games. They got three out of four points missing Zdeno Chara, and now the team will get a chance to take a well deserved rest. (Sports Xchange)

Coach Claude Julien certainly agrees with the praise, especially after their dominant 7-2 win over the Ottawa Senators last night. (I was lucky enough to be there) “Our guys just played so well. The puck was moving well, good decisions all around. It was a real solid game for us and a great way to finish.” Read a little more on the victory from the team that brought it to you. (Boston Bruins)

A lot of people are focusing on the big teams competing in Olympic Hockey. While Team Canada appears to be the odds on favorite, The US and Russian teams are getting a fair amount of hype.  Here at Causeway Crowd, we think that the Czech team could be the ‘X factor’ at Sochi. Here’s a snippet of the team for the Czech Republic and how the skill set of David Krejci could have this underdog team see Olympic gold this year. (Causeway Crowd)

Kevan Miller, or “Millsy” to his teammates has certainly been the ‘X factor’ for the Bruins. An AHL call up to cover spots on the line, Miller earned himself a NHL job this season by being everything the team needed. He’s been dependable, a solid soldier on the blue line, and a very dangerous person to fight. When Ottawa Senators’ Zack Smith decided to take on Miller in the first period of that 7-2 rout, he discovered two things: 1.) He seriously misjudged Miller 2.) Losing a fight against a Bruin in the TD Garden will suck all the energy out of your team. The guys at Comcast give a big *stick tap* to ‘Killer Miller’. (CSNNE)