Bruce Cassidy addresses whether or not Tuukka Rask is with the Bruins for the long haul this season, or if there is a chance they’d cut ties.
Through four games back with the Boston Bruins, Tuukka Rask has been hit or miss, at best, between the pipes.
After officially re-signing with the Bruins earlier this month following offseason surgery to repair a torn labrum, Rask is 2-2 with a ghastly 4.28 goals against average and .844 save percentage.
Two starts in particular -- a five-goal first period vs. the Carolina Hurricanes and five goals over the course of a full game against the Anaheim Ducks -- have made it fair to wonder whether or not Rask was ready to return, or even to ponder if he'll last the remainder of the season.
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For his part, Boston coach Bruce Cassidy seems willing to stay the course with Rask in the fold. Asked by Mike Felger of 98.5 The Sports Hub and NBC Sports Boston on Friday afternoon, Cassidy said that Rask will get "three or four more starts, minimum" before the team reassesses its goaltending situation.
"I think we're going to see it through," Cassidy told the Felger & Mazz co-host. "He [Rask] could have a change of heart in that regard, we won't control that. We went into this with, he's put the time into rehab, we'll give him x-amount of starts to find his game. That's a little tough, obviously, in season, but we were willing to do that because of his resume."
Rask, 34, has won more games (308) than any other goaltender in franchise history, to go along with a Vezina Trophy as the league's best goalie in 2013-14.
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But with Linus Ullmark 7-0-1 over his last eight starts, as well as Jeremy Swayman having played well prior to his move to AHL Providence to accommodate Rask's return, the Bruins have two other starting-caliber goaltenders at their disposal down the stretch.
Nine points clear of the next-closest team in the wild-card standings (the Detroit Red Wings, with 42 points, have been slumping for weeks), the Bruins have the luxury of some time and space to figure things out with their goalies, something Cassidy seemed to acknowledge to Felger.
"We'll see where we're at, who gives us the best chance to win every night as we go down the stretch and then sorting it out for April and May," Cassidy said. "I think Swayman is still involved in that. He's playing well down in Providence, but we don't want to carry three goalies.
"It's too soon to make any hard decisions right now."