The New York Rangers’ first goal in their 3-2 win over the Bruins on Saturday at TD Garden resulted in Boston netminder Tuukka Rask exiting the game.
With less than 90 seconds left in the first period, Filip Chytil went coast-to-coast to score the Rangers’ first goal. But just as Chytil got right to the front of the net, Charlie McAvoy lowered himself and body checked him. The forward went flying into Rask, making direct contact with his head. As a result, Rask’s head snapped up, hit the top post and resulted in the net dislodging and his mask flying off.
After the collision, Rask, who had a cut on his eyebrow, was laid out on the ice for a few moments, getting the attention of the team’s medical staff. He eventually was helped up and off the ice by teammates and did not return to the bench the rest of the night.
After the game, Bruins head coach Bruce Cassidy shared what he knew about the injury, which wasn’t too much.
“He’s concussed,” Cassidy said, via a team-provided transcript. “That’s all I know, so he’ll go into protocol. The best-case scenario for those is usually the next day if he’s doing well. Then he’s up and running and it shouldn’t be too badly affected by it other than the immediate, today’s kind of pain and symptoms. If he’s not, then it’s one of those where you just keep your fingers crossed and hope it settles itself out quickly.”
Cassidy also noted he had not talked to Rask yet and wasn’t sure if he had gone to the hospital.
The Bruins now will have nine days off before their next game due to the All-Star break, so Rask, along with the rest of the Bruins, will have some time off.
Here are some other notes from Saturday’s Rangers-Bruins game:
— Adam McQuaid played at TD Garden as a visitor for the first time in his career, and he reminded the crowd what he’s all about.
In the third period, Chris Wagner leveled Jesper Fast in what appeared to just be incidental contact. After another Ranger engaged Wagner, McQuaid stepped in and started fighting the B’s winger, getting an additional two minutes for roughing because he was the third man into the fight.
Earlier in the game, McQuaid had gotten a nice video tribute, and received a pretty loud ovation during it.
(You can watch McQuaid’s tribute and his reaction here)
— Brad Marchand scored the Bruins’ second goal, and with that he stretches his three-game point streak to four.
In those four games, Marchand is slashing 3-3-6.
— The Bruins now have led in four consecutive games, and in each of those games they blew a lead.
In Saturday’s game, Boston scored the opening goal late in the first period, but just over a minutes later the Rangers found the equalizer. The Bruins fell behind in the second but tied it back up in the third, however they conceded the winner at 9:05 in the final frame.
In those four game, the Bruins went 1-2-1.
— The Bruins will enter the All-Star break still in possession of third place in the Atlantic Division.
Although both the B’s and Montreal Canadiens have 59 points, the Bruins have a game in hand on their Original Six rival. Boston trails the Toronto Maple Leafs by just one point for second place, but the Leafs have two games in hand and will play Sunday before they begin their break.
