Tuukka Rask was back on the ice in a good way Monday at Warrior Ice Arena.
For the three previous days, Rask was on ice in a bad way, shelved because of a lower-body injury sustained in last Thursday’s 6-3 loss to Tampa Bay. Assuming no setbacks following Monday’s practice and Tuesday’s morning tuneup, No. 40 will be back in net for the Bruins against Nashville Tuesday night after being unfit to play in Saturday’s 2-1 win over the Islanders or even travel to Brooklyn.
“Yeah. For sure,” said Rask when asked if he felt well enough to start against the Predators. “We’ll see what the decision is. But I felt good today. Get another morning skate tomorrow and go from there.”
In some ways, giving Rask the nod against the Predators is a simple decision. Rask’s trophy case includes a Vezina, and his checking account draws $7 million annually — two feathers in any goalie’s cap.
“He’s our No. 1 goalie,” said Bruins coach Bruce Cassidy. “We’re not scurrying around that issue. He’s our No. 1. His health is very important. If he’s physically ready to go and he tells me that, we’ll make our decision. After one practice, he feels good. That’s a big positive for us.”
The gulf between Rask and backup Anton Khudobin may seem wide. Rask (33-20-4, 2.38 goals-against average, .910 save percentage) started the season ablaze, winning 11 of his first 13 starts, including shutouts over Buffalo and Colorado in a six-day stretch. The Bruins thought so little of Khudobin (6-5-1, 2.60 GAA, .899 save percentage) that they placed him on waivers Jan. 4, making him available for any team to claim.
But Rask’s recent play does not make him a slam-dunk starter against Nashville. The puck that hung Rask with his 20th loss was a Jonathan Drouin slapper that No. 1 goalies tuck in their gloves. Instead, Drouin’s shot slipped under Rask’s left arm for the deciding goal last Thursday.
Meanwhile, Khudobin has won his last five starts. Some have been of the hold-your-breath variety. But the backup was airtight against the low-event Islanders (just 10 five-on-five shots), allowing only a John Tavares high-blocker pea. Khudobin’s creasemate applauded from back home.
“You’ve got to put the best lineup out possible,” Rask said. “I wasn’t in shape to play [Saturday]. Never an easy decision this time of year. I talked with the training staff and managers. We came to the decision that Doby’s going to play the game. That’s it.
“We played a good game and we got the win. It’s obviously tough from a personal standpoint. But it’s never about one guy or two guys missing. It’s a team game.
“I had full confidence in everybody that we were going to get the job done as long as we played the way we did. It was great to see.”
The Bruins are 2 points ahead of the Islanders. They have just one priority, and it is not to prime a goalie for the playoffs, stroke egos, or rebuild one puck-stopper’s confidence.
They need points. If Cassidy, goaltending coach Bob Essensa, and the rest of the decision-makers believe a rhinoceros gives the Bruins the best chance to win, the Bruins will have a beast with a big horn and pads on its legs occupying the net.
Rask has been anything but a sure thing. The reasons — fatigue because of Khudobin’s poor start, injuries, defensive slackness, loss of focus — are unknown, although Cassidy does not believe Rask’s latest flareup will affect the rest of his run.
“Anything can happen over one game or if something happens to him. Then we can readdress that,” Cassidy said. “He’s a guy who has played a lot of hockey this year. We know he’s not a 240-pound goaltender that can handle all that workload, every game, every year. We know that.
“We probably overused him at the start of the year. It’s been documented again, so that at this time of the year, it gets tougher and tougher on any player that’s overplayed.”
Rask’s last start against the Predators did not go well. On Jan. 12 at Bridgestone Arena, Rask made just three saves before Roman Josi pegged a puck off the side of his neck. Two days later, Rask posted a 21-save performance in a 6-3 win over Philadelphia.
But Rask’s overall game has not trended well since he got rocked in Nashville. Since then, Rask has an .886 save percentage in 25 games. It is the lowest save percentage of any goalie who’s made 20 or more appearances in that segment. In comparison, Vezina favorite Sergei Bobrovsky has a .937 save percentage in 24 appearances. Khudobin has played in only six games since Jan. 12, but has posted a .920 save percentage.
So while Cassidy believes Rask is a No. 1, his numbers do not reinforce that standing. Cassidy is placing his faith in Rask in something other than statistics. It is Rask’s turn to earn that trust.
. . .
David Krejci left practice early Monday with an upper-body injury. Cassidy said he believes Krejci should be available against the Predators. Ryan Spooner replaced Krejci on the second line between Drew Stafford and David Pastrnak to conclude practice . . . John-Michael Liles, a healthy scratch since Feb. 26, could play against Nashville. Liles would most likely replace Colin Miller, who played only 11:50 against the Islanders. After practice, Miller went through extra skating drills with the projected scratches . . . Matt Beleskey and wife Victoria welcomed daughter Ivy, their first child, on Sunday. Beleskey missed Saturday’s game because his wife was in labor . . . Tim Schaller practiced with his teammates for the first time since suffering a lower-body injury against Detroit March 8. Schaller wore a non-contact jersey. His timeline for playing is unknown . . . Zdeno Chara was nominated as the team’s candidate for the Masterton Trophy, awarded each year to the NHL player who best exemplifies perseverance, sportsmanship, and dedication to hockey.
Fluto Shinzawa can be reached at fshinzawa@globe.com. Follow him on Twitter @GlobeFluto.