Tuukka Rask out sick for Bruins crucial season finale
Backup Jonas Gustavsson got start against Ottawa
Boston Bruins goalie Tuukka Rask missed Saturday's season finale against the Ottawa Senators as his team played for one of the final playoff spots in the Eastern Conference.
Backup Jonas Gustavsson got the start against Ottawa. It was just his 20th start of the season.
The Bruins needed a victory over the Senators and help from Philadelphia and Detroit in order to avoid their second straight season without a playoff berth.
The team said shortly before the opening faceoff that Rask was unavailable due to illness. He was with the team for the pregame warmup but spent most of it on the side, near the Boston bench.
Sick: Coming out of both ends.
—@GlobeFlutoThe Bruins sent a news release at 12:01 p.m. — 29 minutes before the start of the game — saying they were recalling Jeremy Smith from their minor-league affiliate in Providence on an emergency basis.
Did Rask just do the old fake an injury in a crucial game against the Sens trick like Carey Price?
—@sens_adnanBruins are up 1-0 and people are blaming Rask for everything. Makes sense
—@AntonChigurh81I take offense to the mere suggestion that the majority of Boston and Bruins fans thought Rask was ducking this game <a href="https://t.co/1WjD297Qgo">https://t.co/1WjD297Qgo</a>
—@BeanTownPride