Tuukka Rask will not play this weekend

Tuukka Rask is injured yet again after the Bruins’ OT loss against the Islanders on Thursday night.

Rask left after the first period of the game and didn’t return. Jaroslav Halak took over and had a rough night, allowing a couple of soft goals, including the Islanders’ OT winner.

Just 21 seconds into OT, Anthony Beauvillier (@titobeauvi21) gets the GWG.

NHL x @trulyseltzer pic.twitter.com/k2eXbJsUJF

— NHL (@NHL) March 26, 2021

Rask had been playing in his first game back after dealing with the same upper-body injury he reaggravated last night.

“Tuukka was in this morning, he will be getting treatment. He will not play this weekend and then we’ll go from there,” Bruins coach Bruce Cassidy said Friday. “Again, until he’s back on the ice, hopefully, there’s [nothing] major there, but obviously something’s going on where he had to leave the game again with a similar injury as the last time. We’ll have to make sure we [get it] looked at and make the right call the next time and make sure he’s — I guess, not make the right call — we assumed he was ready to play. That’s why he was in. He said he was, medical staff, but obviously, we have to keep a closer eye on it if it’s something that’s going to flare up.”

“Nothing major” is right. The Bruins can’t afford to lose their starting goaltender, especially with the offensive issues they’ve been facing. A long-term injury would most likely result in Halak starting and Daniel Vladar being the backup.

We are already into the second half of the NHL season where every game is starting to become more significant. If Rask were to be out for an extended period of time, it could be seriously detrimental to the already struggling team.

Rask is listed as day-to-day.

– Caylee Allard

Follow me on Twitter: @2kaRask