Turning point of season: Classic

BOSTON» The team building process that brought the Bruins to the Stanley Cup Final began with selfies on the Great Wall of China and solidified under the omnipresent gaze of Touchdown Jesus.

The Bruins kicked off the campaign on a goodwill mission to China where they played a pair of exhibition games with Calgary Flames at the Shenzhen Universiade Center in Shenzhen and Cadillac Arena in Beijing.

But coach Bruce Cassidy identified the Bruins’ 4-2 victory over the Chicago Blackhawks in the Winter Classic as the turning point in the season.

The clash between two Original Six teams took place on balmy overcast New Years’ Day before 76,126 fans at Notre Dame Stadium in South Bend, Ind.

“The was the core from Game 1 but some of that core wasn’t in China,” Cassidy said after practice Sunday.

“A little bit of that was the younger guys taking charge. I think the Winter Classic was, if you want to look back, a turning point and I think that whole Peaky Blinders theme brought the guys together.

“Then there was the game itself and it seemed to take off from there. It was an area where we really came together and that was the first time we were healthy all year with the team we thought we’d start with.”

The “Peaky Blinders theme” was a fashion statement based a popular BBC TV series about the formation of an organized crime underworld in Birmingham, England, following World War 1. The Bruins arrived in South Bend wearing suits, vests and haberdashery in the style of British gangsters from the 1920s.

“I think it was part of it and there were a lot of things along the way that bring you together as a group,” said Krug. “Doing that and the way that we won that game was definitely and step in the right direction and one of many things that have happened over the year that brought us together as a group.”

Chara skates before practice.

BOSTON» Three days after he had to miss Game 4 of the Eastern Conference final because of an undisclosed injury, Boston Bruins captain Zdeno Chara skated before practice on Sunday.

The Bruins defeated the Carolina Hurricanes 4-0 to complete a sweep without Chara. They advanced to the Stanley Cup Final, which won’t start until May 27, to face either the San Jose Sharks or the St. Louis Blues, who are playing in the Western Conference final.

Chara skated with fellow injured defenseman Steven Kampfer and Bruins skills coach Kim Brandvold. Chara did not participate in the full practice.