With Tuukka Rask signing with the Bruins on Tuesday and Linus Ullmark starting Wednesday against Montreal, it made sense for Rask’s first start to come on Thursday against the Flyers.
While that still isn’t 100 percent official, coach Bruce Cassidy confirmed on Wednesday that Rask making his season debut on Thursday is the plan as of now. Cassidy and the Bruins generally don’t like to start any goalie on back-to-back nights anyways.
After that, Cassidy said that how often Rask plays will depend on how he feels physically and what he’s capable of handling as he gets back up to full speed.
“We have to see how he performs first, how his conditioning is, recovering from games, etc. We have a lot coming up, so obviously both goalies are going to get the net,” Cassidy said. “I think we’ve played one goalie on a back-to-back all year, and that was [Jeremy] Swayman earlier this year. It was an afternoon to a night. So, our intention is to start Tuukka tomorrow, all things being equal. He’ll have to be OK with that. I think he is.”
Rask, for his part, certainly sounds ready. Earlier Wednesday, he told the media, “The sooner you throw me in there, the better it is.”
It's worth noting that Philadelphia's game against Carolina on Tuesday was postponed due to the Flyers' COVID-19 issues. Thursday's game is still on as of Wednesday, though, and it does appear the Flyers are now getting back more players than they're losing.
-- Jake DeBrusk and Tomas Nosek have been cleared from COVID-19 protocol and were on the ice for morning skate Wednesday. Both are expected to re-enter the lineup Wednesday night.
Meanwhile, Nick Foligno (lower body) and Trent Frederic (upper body) are both out. Foligno twisted his leg awkwardly in a fall on Saturday. While the Bruins initially feared a longer-term injury, Cassidy said Foligno actually did a little bit of skating Wednesday morning and could return sometime next week.
Frederic took a high hit from Alex Ovechkin Monday night and suffered what appeared to be a head injury. Cassidy said he’ll be out at least the next two games.
Here is the expected lineup for Wednesday:
-- Cassidy explained what he has liked about defenseman Urho Vaakanainen’s play the last two games since the 2017 first-round pick was called up from Providence:
“I think he’s been more consistent. Body language is better in terms of being engaged in the game, practice habits. His execution is crisper in practice, he’s ready to go right away. Even though we haven’t had a lot of practice, you just notice that, and it’s translated in the games. I think he’s passed the puck well. He’s been assertive when it’s on his stick, looking to go north, not afraid to hold onto it an extra second or two if the situation dictates. … I think he’s defended harder. Obviously some of that has to do with just maturity. He’s stronger in battles. He’s more comfortable probably to hang in there longer.”
-- Cassidy said he has not had any conversations with general manager Don Sweeney about free-agent forward Evander Kane. The San Jose Sharks terminated Kane’s contract over the weekend for a violation of COVID-19 protocols. Kane, who had 49 points in 56 games last season but also has a laundry list of off-ice issues, had already been suspended 21 games earlier this season for using a fake vaccine card.
Sweeney said on Tuesday that the Bruins, like every other team, would do their “due diligence” on any player who’s available.
It sounds like Kane signing with any team is probably on hold for now as the NHL investigates his border crossing from the U.S. to Canada in late December.
-- Brad Marchand revealed that, unsurprisingly, he did suffer a broken nose when Washington’s Nic Dowd high-sticked him Monday night. Marchand said he required five or six stitches as well. He finished the game, recording two goals and an assist, and will not miss any time.
-- Marchand was asked about other painful injuries he's suffered and shared a good story:
“There was one time we were playing Washington. We were on the penalty kill, and the draw went directly to Ovi [Alex Ovechkin]. I stepped out and he took a one-timer right into my foot. I hobbled to the bench and I was yelling to the trainer, ‘It’s broken! It’s broken! I can’t move, it’s 100 percent broken.’ My whole foot just went numb. I thought it was at the time. I don’t think I missed a shift. I mean, it hurt, but it must’ve just hit a nerve or something. Guys gave it to me for that one for a while.”
-- Marchand said he believes Rask’s return will provide a boost to the team:
“I think there is. It’s like Tampa when they got [Nikita] Kucherov back in the playoffs last year. You’re gonna get a boost amongst your group when you have a player of that caliber. You know they’re gonna make an impact. You know they’re gonna help you win. You know they’re gonna make a difference every night that they play. And he’s gonna do that. Like I said, he’s been one of the best goalies and still is. When you shoot on him, he just has a natural gift to be one of the best. There’s no question he’s going to help us win games when he plays, and there’s going to be games that he steals that we shouldn’t win. That’s what you need. We are lucky to have him. I think guys are excited to have him in there. … There’s no question you get a bit of a boost when you get a player of his caliber coming into the lineup.”
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