Marchand: 'I'm not going to poke the bear' when playing Chara for 1st time

Notorious agitator Brad Marchand won't try to get under the skin of long-time friend and former teammate Zdeno Chara when the Boston Bruins clash with the Washington Capitals on Saturday.

"He's the kind of guy where when he's out there, you're an opponent. He's not going to have any friends out there. He's going to play the game and compete and battle," Marchand said, according to ESPN's Greg Wyshynski.

"I'm not going to poke the bear in any way. The biggest thing I can do is just skate away from him. If you get within that reach or his grasp, then you're not going anywhere."

Chara signed a one-year contract with Washington this offseason after 14 campaigns with the Bruins. The 43-year-old suited up for over 1,000 games with Boston, claiming a Norris Trophy in 2009 and the Stanley Cup in 2011.

The future Hall of Fame blue-liner downplayed the reunion with his former teammates, saying he knows what to expect when Marchand is on the forecheck.

"I don't think it's going to be any different," Chara said. "He's a guy who will always go out there and compete for his teams. I think we had many practices against each other and we both compete pretty hard. I don't expect anything else from him or anybody else."

The Capitals and Bruins enter Saturday's contest as the East Division's top two teams in the young 2021 season.