Bruins captain Zdeno Chara day to day

BOSTON -Boston Bruins defenseman Zdeno Chara is nearing a return to the lineup but will not play against the Buffalo Sabres at KeyBank Center on Saturday (1 p.m. ET, SN, MSG-B, NESN, NHL.TV).
Chara took part in a full practice Friday at Warrior Ice Arena for the first time since he sustained a lower-body injury in the second period against the St. Louis Blues on Nov. 22. Chara has missed five games and the Bruins are 2-2-1 in that span.

"Feels better, yeah. It's still day to day," Chara said.
Bruins coach Claude Julien was encouraged by what he saw from Chara in practice and believes the Boston captain should be ready to play soon.
"I think he's getting pretty close," Julien said. "When you see him in practice there, things are going well for him. I think that the term day to day is really fitting right now. To be honest with you, a lot of times we're told it's day to day and we don't know, whether it's three days, whether it's two days, whether it's a week. In his case I would say day to day is really day to day now with him."

After the Bruins visit the Sabres they host the Florida Panthers on Monday and visit the Washington Capitals on Wednesday.
In the five games Chara has been sidelined, the Bruins have allowed nine goals. They allowed three goals the past two games without Chara and defenseman John-Michael Liles, out indefinitely with a concussion.
Center Patrice Bergeron did not practice with the Bruins on Friday. Julien said Bergeron was home and would meet the Bruins at their plane. Bergeron is not injured, according to Julien.
In search for a lineup spark awaiting Chara's return, the Bruins recalled forward Anton Blidh from Providence of the American Hockey League on Friday. He practiced on the fourth line with center Dominic Moore and right wing Jimmy Hayes. Blidh, 21, the Bruins sixth-round pick (No. 180) in the 2013 NHL Draft, is known more as an energy player, has nine points (four goals, five assists) in 19 games for Providence this season.
"He's playing well," Julien said of Blidh. "So we brought him up. We'll get to see him hopefully [Saturday]."
Forward Noel Acciari, who skated as a fourth member of the fourth line Friday, will miss his 13th straight game with a lower-body injury. Acciari, like Chara, is getting close to returning.