In Thursday's thrilling 6-3 comeback win over the Islanders, Chara skated a single-game season high of 22:55, scored his first goal as a Capital, and added an assist. He has been on the ice for 10 even-strength goals for - second most on the team - and only three goals against in eight games.
"I think he has come in and he has done everything that we would hope that he would do and bring to our team," says Laviolette. "His presence - first of all - when he is in the room and when he speaks, everybody listens. He was a captain and a leader for a long time, so to add a layer of leadership inside the room is good. We've got good leaders in place, but Z can come in and add.
"His play on the ice, it's always hard when you're a more experienced player like Z goes into quarantine for a bit and comes out, he's got a new team and new environment, and a new system. I think his game has gotten better every game he has played. [Thursday] night, he played an excellent game for us. He played over 20 minutes and defensively he was really strong, offensively he contributed, and he really factored into the game. He is showing his true colors both on the ice and off the ice."
Chara seems unaffected by the prospect of facing his former employer of the last 14 years, where he played over a thousand games, cemented some lifelong bonds and won a Stanley Cup.
"Pretty normal; I kind of feel fine," says Chara on the eve of his first meeting with his former club. "Obviously I knew that this would be coming up on the schedule so I've just taken it day-by-day and I'm looking forward to [Saturday]. It's going to be a good game."
It should be. The Caps have claimed at least a point (5-0-3) in each of their first eight games of 2020-21, doing so for the first time in franchise history. And the Bruins are just two points behind the Capitals for the top spot in the NHL's East Division.
With Chara logging 20 minutes a night and playing well, the Caps have rolled out to a strong start despite missing a number of key players because of COVID protocol and injuries. Alex Ovechkin, Evgeny Kuznetsov, Dmitry Orlov and Ilya Samsonov are on the League's "unavailable due to COVID protocol" list on Friday, and Caps coach Peter Laviolette says their presence on that list is still "day-to-day."
Lars Eller missed Thursday's game because of an upper body injury sustained in the previous game against the Isles, and the Caps lost defenseman Justin Schultz early in the third period of Thursday's contest when he took a puck up high and did not return.
"He is listed right now as day-to-day," says Laviolette of Schultz. "Obviously it was a scary incident. I did talk to him [Friday] morning, and he is doing okay."
Given the number and the caliber of players missing from the Washington lineup on many nights this season, the team's strong start has surprised some. Chara is not among them.
"Not really," he says. "I think that we believe that we have a good team with obviously a good system and good structure, and I think that the depth of this team is probably the best I've seen or been part of besides some years with the Bruins. We are facing some adversity and some challenges, missing guys due to COVID protocols and due to injuries. But there are also some guys stepping up and playing big roles, filling those spots and playing well. I'm not surprised by that. This team obviously has big potential, and we just try to do our best."
Although Chara seems to be thriving with the Caps, he is quick to turn the conversation to the team when asked about it.
"We all have to realize that there is a certain system," says the veteran blueliner. And if we play as a group of five on the ice and always work together offensively, defensively, supporting each other in the neutral zone, then I think that's the key. It's not about me or how the system is suiting me, it's about the team and that's what we have to realize. Once we play like that, I think everything will be fine."
