After watching from the bench for more than a week, Tuukka Rask was back in net but the Bruins had their four-game winning streak snapped in a 4-2 loss to the Edmonton Oilers Sunday night at TD Garden.
Backup Anton Khudobin has been spectacular for the Bruins during their recent win streak. Overall, he's 7-0-2 with a 2.22 goals-against average and a .932 save percentage. Despite the winning streak, coach Bruce Cassidy said it's Rask's turn to start.
"It's his turn to go," Cassidy said. "We've gotten terrific goaltending out of Dobby. We'd like to get terrific goaltending out of Tuukka, so everything can be terrific. We'll see, it's his chance (Sunday)."
Now that Khudobin has proven he can be a solid backup, the Bruins will look to find a good balance from their goaltending tandem. Rask is 3-7-2 with a 2.89 GAA and a .897 SP in 12 games.
The Bruins were without Brad Marchand again today. He's missed seven of the last nine games due to a concussion. He's been practicing with the team, but has not been cleared for game action. Cassidy said he hopes Marchand will be back in the lineup for Wednesday's game against the Tampa Bay Lightning.
Peter Cehlarik is out with a lower-body injury and will be reevaluated in four weeks, the Bruins announced before the game.
Ryan Spooner was also out for precautionary reasons after he reaggravated his groin injury. He didn't skate on Saturday and the team's off on Sunday, so it will give him a few extra days of rest.
Jordan Szwarz, Matt Beleskey and Frank Vatrano will be in the lineup tonight. Cassidy went with seven defensemen on Friday against the Penguins, but the Bruins are back to six for the Oilers.
Observations from the third period
- Oilers are winning the majority of the faceoff tonight.
- Even though they're not helping themselves, there's zero puck luck for the Bruins tonight.
- Ryan Strome gives the Oilers a 3-2 lead. Left all alone in the slot and rifles one high glove on Rask.
- Bruins have only 10 shots through two periods. Gotta pick up their skating game in the third.
- I like seeing that type of bite from Zdeno Chara has he tosses Connor McDavid to the ice. But, Chara goes to the box for roughing. His teammates need to kill this off.
- Solid response by the Bruins as David Krejci nets his third of the season after a strong rush by Riley Nash.
- David Pastrnak's weak attempt to clear the puck results in a turnover that results in Edmonton's 2-1 lead.
- Oilers tie the game at 1-1 on Patrick Maroon's seventh of the season at 9:50. After initial save by Rask, Bruins couldn't break the puck out clean and it resulted in a Edmonton goal. Rask could've have that one though.
- Bruins had only six shots in the first period, so expect a better push in the second.
- Great rush by Torey Krug and outstanding toe-drag finish by David Pastrnak to give the Bruins a 1-0 lead on the power play. No. 88 has two goals in two games after going four without one.
- Kevan Miller and Grzelcyk doing a good job of clearing out in front.
- That play by Szwarz to get an offensive-zone faceoff was very Patrice Bergeron-esque.
- Can't stress enough Danton Heinen's ability to win puck battles in close.
- Strong backcheck by McDavid stifles an open-net opportunity for Bergeron.