Islander Zdeno Chara to overtake Scott Stevens on the all-time list

On Monday night, Zdeno Chara will hit another milestone in games played.

The 44-year-old will step on the ice for the 1,636th time, surpassing Scott Stevens for the second most all-time streak among defensive players and 10th on the all-time list. Later this year, assuming everything goes to plan, Chara will outlast Chris Chelios’ all-time 1,651 games in the position.

Even Andy Greene, who has played more than 1,000 games and has a 16-year career of his own, calls what Chara has done “incredible”.

“You just need to watch another 600 [than me], it’s been a great career in this league, yes,” Greene said. “We know what Z has been able to do over two or three or four different eras where the style of the game has changed a few times. It is very impressive. ”

Without the 2004-05 and 2012-13 lockdown games, and the shortened seasons due to COVID-19, Chara’s staggering total would have been higher. He is in the midst of his 24th season in the league, starting with the Islanders in 1997 before being infamously traded to Ottawa in a deal for Alexei Yashin.

From then until returning to the Isles for her final break, Chara made six All-Star Games and won the 2008-09 Norris Trophy as well as the 2011 Stanley Cup.

“Obviously you know his presence,” match coach Lane Lambert said when asked about when he had to prepare to face Chara. “The problem is the defense and the reach he has. So you just have to be prepared and aware of it, that’s for sure. ”

It took a long time for his age to show, but this year has come. Especially early in the season, Chara looked as if he’d lost a step and the islanders were struggling to produce with him on the ice. Recently, however, he has become a good match with Noah Dobson.

The Islanders face a series of important games this week, with home and away games against the Flyers, who lost seven games in a row on Monday, ahead of the day at home to the worst Coyotes Tournaments. That could be their best chance of getting back above .500 before the All-Star break.

“I don’t think it’s overwhelming at all,” said Mat Barzal when asked about the standings, in which Isles is at the bottom of the table. “We know we have a lot of games on our hands. We know there are about 50 games left in the season.”

Barry Trotz still leaves the group on the COVID-19 list. Lambert has no updates on Kyle Palmieri or Ryan Pulock, who are still on the bench due to injury.