BOSTON – Jonas Gustavsson will be getting the start for the Bruins in a do-or-die game against the Ottawa Senators on Saturday after leading the Black and Gold onto the ice for pregame warm-ups. Tuukka Rask is out with an illness, the Bruins announced.
Rask certainly appeared sick as he quickly retreated to the B's dressing room after taking just a couple of shots during pregame warm-up. Rask stood on one knee in front of the Bruins bench for the first half of the warm-up session without moving once, and then stood leaning against the bench for the second half of warm-ups.
Providence Bruins goaltender Jeremy Smith has been called up to Boston on an emergency basis and will be at TD Garden in time to potentially suit up for the Black and Gold.
Gustavsson is 11-8-1 with a 2.65 goals-against average and a .910 save percentage this season, and has played in one game since Feb. 23 when he served as the mop-up man for the B’s in last weekend’s blowout loss to the Blackhawks.
Smith has played in 17 games in 2015-16 with Providence, compiling a 10-5-1 record, 2.15 goals-against average and .929 save percentage after losing out on the backup goalie gig to Jonas Gustavsson at the start of this season. Smith was called up for a couple of days last month as well to give Rask a break at practice during a heavy portion of the schedule, but didn’t appear in a game.
Last season, Smith played in 39 games for Providence with 22 wins, a 2.05 goals-against average and a .933 save percentage