Tuukka Rask Questionable To Play Vs. Devils Due To Illness
BOSTON (CBS) -- For the better part of two months, the Bruins have been unable to find a way to allow for goaltender Tuukka Rask to get some rest. Now, Rask's immune system may be overruling the head coach.
Rask felt sick on Friday morning and stayed at the team hotel, missing out on the morning skate at the Prudential Center. As a result, head coach Claude Julien said that Rask may not be in attendance for Friday night's game against the Devils.
Julien said Tuukka's under the weather & stayed back at the hotel this morning
— Boston Bruins (@NHLBruins) February 27, 2015
That means that Niklas Svedberg is likely to get his third start of the calendar year. He started, coincidentally enough, against the Devils on Jan. 8, stopping all 14 shots on net in a 3-0 Bruins win. Svedberg's next start came more than a full month later on Feb. 10, and he was pulled after allowing three goals on 10 shots in the opening 20 minutes of an eventual 5-3 Dallas victory in Boston.
The Devils enter Friday night's game with a 25-27-9 record, well out of the playoff picture, but they are 4-1-0 in their last five games. However, on Thursday they traded away Jaromir Jagr, who ranked third on the team in points with 11 goals and 18 assists in 57 games.
The Bruins recalled goaltender Jeremy Smith from Providence, likely to serve as Svedberg's backup. Smith has 192 AHL games on his resume but has never played in the NHL.
Rask has played in 27 of the past 28 games played by the Bruins.