Tuukka Rask will be sidelined until after the NHL All-Star break.
This certainly makes the most sense for the Boston Bruins, who have just one game this week against the Seattle Kraken on Tuesday night before enjoying a week off.
Rask underwent surgery in the offseason to repair a torn labrum in his hip. The veteran goalie went through months of rehab before re-signing with the team last month. He was unable to start in Providence as originally planned due to COVID-19 issues, but looked, and felt, good in his first start for Boston in seven months against the Philadelphia Flyers.
The next starts, however, weren't so great.
Rask never made excuses for himself, and head coach Bruce Cassidy didn't seem all that concerned about the health of his goalie.
But now Rask is dealing with a lower-body injury that forced the B's to recall Jeremy Swayman from Providence. It's unclear the extent of the ailment, but Cassidy provided a bit of an update Tuesday.
"It's dragged out. Once he missed time on the road we did not figure he'd be practicing or be ready to play," Cassidy said over Zoom. "That would be a big ask after missing that time. So you might as well take the break and get it sorted out. I guess there's some lingering effects from the surgery that are creeping in now after he played more than maybe practicing for that stretch. Only he knows how much it's preventing him from being 100% athletic or comfortable in the net. that's what's happening the last little stretch here. ... That's where Tuukka's at, we'll have a much better idea coming out of the break."
After Tuesday's game, the B's won't play again until Feb. 8 at home against the Pittsburgh Penguins.
