Chara broke the ring and pinky fingers on his left hand during the second-round series against the Canadiens.

WILMINGTON -- During Monday's informal practice at Ristuccia Arena, while he was waiting his turn to take part in a battle drill, Zdeno Chara lazily shot a few pucks into the net on the other side of the ice.

He couldn't have done that at the end of the postseason last spring.

Chara broke the ring and pinky fingers on his left hand during the second-round series against the Canadiens. It's believed to have occurred when he was slashed by the Habs' Michael Bournival early in Game 3 of the series. The rest of the way, Chara could not unleash his record-setting slap shot and struggled in the final games of the series as the Canadiens rallied to upset the Bruins.

As it became obvious that Chara was hurt, the captain refused to speak publicly about the injury, even after the Bruins were eliminated. He kept his hand in a jacket pocket during his season-ending media scrum and asked his agent, Matt Keator, to not discuss the injury.

On Monday, Chara admitted he couldn't grip his stick properly. He's since found out the pinky is perhaps the most important finger for securing a strong grip; without the ability to handle his stick properly, Chara could not wind up for a slapper.

Chara did not have surgery on the fingers.

Although he says he still has some numbness in the fingers, the fingers have returned to their normal colors -- they were dark when Chara attended the NHL Awards Show on June 24 -- and he can grip the stick just fine.

It was the second straight season Chara was made less effective by injuries at the end of the Bruins' playoff run. A hip flexor limited him in the 2013 Stanley Cup Final vs. the Blackhawks.

Follow @DanCagen