With Rask out with a concussion, can Khudobin handle the workload?

Tuukka Rask has been diagnosed with a concussion, the Bruins announced Thursday before hosting the Vancouver Canucks at TD Garden.

While Rask follows the NHL's concussion protocol, the goaltending duties will fall on backup Anton Khudobin. The Bruins also recalled Zane McIntyre from Providence to serve as the No. 2

Rask was injured during a collision with rookie Anders Bjork at Wednesday's practice at Warrior Ice Arena. Rask needed to be helped off the ice.

BSJ analysis on the Bruins' goaltending depth 

The news that Rask suffered a concussion after a collision with Bjork is not good for the Bruins.

Since the offseason, I’ve said and written that the 31-year-old Khudobin is the most important player for the Bruins. When you examine the big picture, that statement makes more sense. Not having a solid backup can have a negative impact. Every successful team has a solid goaltending tandem it can rely on for an 82-game season.

Ever since Boston had the combination of Tim Thomas and Rask, or Rask and Chad Johnson, the Bruins have been lacking in this department. Khudobin was awful at the start of last season and combined with a hand injury, he needed a couple of stints in Providence.

Fortunately, Khudobin was strong down the stretch and posted a six-game win streak from Feb. 11 to April 2. Those performances helped the Bruins earn a postseason berth, and it also saved his job in Boston for this season.

General manager Don Sweeney told Khudobin he needed to be physically, mentally and emotionally prepared for his role entering this season, and if he wasn’t, the organization would look elsewhere. To Khudobin’s credit, he’s performed well during the preseason and it has carried over into the regular season in the four periods he’s played.

Prior to Rask’s injury, Bruce Cassidy had mapped out the seasonal goaltending plan. Of the nine games the Bruins have in October, Khudobin was scheduled to play twice. That has obviously changed. Depending on how long Rask is sidelined, Khudobin will need to play the best hockey of his career. If not, by the time the starter returns, the Bruins could be buried in an early-season hole.

When he played in Carolina during the 2013-14 season, he posted a 19-14-1 record in 36 games. It was his most successful season, and his biggest workload, in the NHL. Fortunately for the Bruins, he at least has the right mindset going into this situation.

“I’ve always said, for goalies, it’s really important to play more, so they can get into a rhythm,” he told BostonSportsJournal.com during training camp. “But my job (as a backup) is a little different, so I have to stay sharp.”

We’ll see how sharp he is moving forward. If not, Sweeney should be, if he isn’t already, on the phone and trying to figure out a way to improve the goaltending depth for the Bruins.