Tuukka Rask left the Bruins’ Game 5 loss for “maintenance” of an ongoing injury after allowing four goals in two periods (12/16 saves). It’s now win-or-go-home time for the Bruins after that Monday night’s 5-4 loss to the New York Islanders in the second round of the 2021 NHL playoffs. However now the single biggest question is: Will Tuukka Rask be in net when Boston tries to stave off elimination in Game 6 Wednesday night?
Bruins coach Bruce Cassidy downplayed Rask’s exit after the game, saying his removal was simply for “maintenance that needed to be done” and that Rask “certainly could have gone back in” despite not being 100 percent.
Cassidy then said he “assumes” Rask will suit up for Game 6.
#NHLBruins coach Bruce Cassidy on pulling Tuukka Rask.
“There was some maintenance that needed to be done. He wasn’t 100%. He wasn’t himself. He could have been back in. We made the decision not to put him back in.”
Says he expects he'll be ready to go Wednesday for game 6. pic.twitter.com/nGCrj8FIsf
— Raul Martinez (@RaulNBCBoston) June 8, 2021
To add to more obstacles thrown into the mix, The Bruins will not have Brandon Carlo, Kevan Miller, or Curtis Lazar for game 6 all due to injuries.
“We need to go win a game,” coach Bruce Cassidy said Tuesday before boarding the team plane to Long Island. “That’s it. There’s nothing else.”
There will be no help from Carlo and Miller, both defensemen yet to be cleared to return after hits to the head. Neither will travel.
Same goes for Lazar, listed as day to day with a lower-body injury. The fourth-line center went into the boards awkwardly with Islanders defenseman Adam Pelech in the 5-4 loss in Game 5 Monday. His left knee appeared to bend backward.
Rask’s status was ostensibly unknown Tuesday, which was a rest day for the Bruins’ regulars. He was at Warrior Ice Arena “going over stuff” with goalie coach Bob Essensa.
“He’ll get his treatment,” Cassidy said, “and we’ll find out [Wednesday] how he is, if he’s able to go or not.”
“At the end of the day, do we win if we don’t pull Tuukka?” Cassidy mused, answering a question that was not asked. “I don’t know. I have no idea. We scored two goals and we let one in in the third.
“I thought we were pushing well. Didn’t go our way. Clearly when it doesn’t, you look back on it.
“But I’m not going to second-guess it, to be honest with you. It’s a decision we felt was the right one. We did it. We’re moving on, and we’ll see who gets the net in Game 6.”
Cassidy wouldn’t elaborate on what he termed “health issues” with Rask, who is believed to have suffered a lower back strain in early March. The coach did allude to potential fatigue. The 34-year-old Rask, who has not missed a playoff start (6-3, 2.20, .925), has started five games in the last 10 days.
“First of all with Tuukka, we’re happy with his performance,” Cassidy said. “He’s been better than he was yesterday, but we weren’t good enough in front of him as well. Let’s face it: You need your goaltender to bail you out when you’re not. It didn’t happen yesterday. It has happened in other games. It happened in previous series. We’re not dissatisfied with Tuukka’s play.”
If Rask isn’t able to go for Game 6 and the Islanders close out the series then we may have very well seen Tuukka’s last game in a Bruins sweater.
UPDATE: Rask has been confirmed to start Game 6.
It still holds that if Rask and the Bruins fail to force a game 7 that this could very well be his last game with the team.
Igor Burdetskiy
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[…] Earlier we speculated if Rask was not ready to go then it may have very well been his last game in a Bruins sweater. […]