Bruins' Chara has advice for Sabres' 19-year-old giant: Keep moving
November 7, 2009, 6:15 PM
By: Matt Kalman
BOSTON -- If 19-year-old defenseman Tyler Myers continues to grow beyond his current height of 6-foot-8, he could surpass Bruins defenseman Zdeno Chara for the title of tallest player in the NHL.
"Hopefully I'm done," said the Buffalo rookie with a smile after his team's morning skate Saturday in preparation for the Sabres' evening clash with the Bruins at TD Garden.
Tonight will mark the first-ever NHL game between the two giant blue-liners. Wherever he goes, Myers obviously draws comparisons to Boston's 6-foot-9 captain. And it's not something he shies away from, as he keeps a close eye on Chara in search of some more tricks of the trade.
"(Chara's) just such a big man that he takes up a lot of space and he shuts down the best players on the other team," said Myers, who's a close friend of Bruins '08 first-round pick Joe Colborne. "I'm playing against him tonight, so obviously we want to have a good performance even though I try to learn from a guy like him."
Chara said he hasn't seen Myers play yet, but he's heard a lot about the former first-round pick. His advice for Myers is similar to what a lot of coaches have told the teenager over the years: Move your feet.
"For big guys, it's always very important to move their feet and be able to skate and make good decisions," Chara said. "The game back when I started, and the game now, is totally different. But obviously with a big guy like that, with a big reach, he can cover a lot of ice."
Bitz back
After missing three games with a groin injury, winger Byron Bitz should be back in the lineup. He participated in the morning skate at the Garden -- his third straight day on the ice since the injury.
"It's a muscle you use a lot, so if it's nagging, you don't want that. It feels pretty good, and hopefully it stays that way.
Battle of the backups
The Bruins should have Tuukka Rask in net, while Buffalo will go with Jhonas Enroth. That leaves potential US Olympic goaltenders Tim Thomas and Ryan Miller on their respective team's benches.
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Matt Kalman covers the Boston Bruins for ESPNBoston.com and is the founder/managing editor of TheBruinsBlog.net. Send any questions for Matt to his mailbag and he might answer them in his Bruins mailbag.
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