By the time the Boston Bruins reconvene for training camp in September, it will have been relatively eight months since goaltender Tuukka Rask last enjoyed a winning decision. Accordingly, he will have nearly a nine-month wait, at best, between meaningful victories.
Dating back to a shootout triumph Jan. 16 in Florida, Rask has endured a seven-game cold streak (0-4-2 plus a no-decision) followed by a seven-week stint away from the bench due to a lower-body injury.
One week before he turned 25, Rask saw his last action of the 2011-12 season on March 3, when he went down with a groin pull at 9:01 of the second period. His subsequent absence pushed the Bruins to rent Marty Turco for the balance of the regular season and dress Providence starter Anton Khudobin as Tim Thomas’ backup for the first five games of the playoffs.
Rask would return to at least partake in warm-ups prior to Games 6 and 7 before the Washington Capitals zapped Boston out of the bracket. With that, the last Zamboni laps of the season leave behind no fresh sheets other than pending contract extensions for desirable free agents.
The younger half of Boston’s ...
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Article written by Al Daniel
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May 4th, 2012 by Al Daniel Leave a reply »
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