Bruins Notes: Tuukka Rask starts; Brad Marchand, David Backes return

Tuukka Rask will be the starting goalie when the Boston Bruins host the Tampa Bay Lightning Wednesday night at TD Garden. Rask is 13-6-1 with a 2.59 goals-against average and a .904 save percentage in 20 career starts against the Lightning.

"We need to get Tuukka's game where he's playing well," said Bruce Cassidy. "The best way to do that is give him starts and he'll get one tonight.

"It's a good challenge for him. He's getting back in the net against a good hockey club. We've also said we don't mind the competition. It's good at every position and we've been looking for someone to push Tuukka and we've got it now. Yeah, we'd like to see (Rask) respond as well."

Rask played well in his last start, a 4-2 loss to the Edmonton Oilers on Sunday, and Cassidy decided to come back with his No. 1 against the Lightning, the best team in the Eastern Conference. Backup Anton Khudobin has been outstanding with a 7-0-2 record this season, but the team needs Rask to return to form.

"Hopefully tonight (Rask) has that one extra save, or we get that extra goal," Cassidy said. "Ideally, we'd like to throw up a 5-0 shutout, but that's a lousy way to prepare. You've got to prepare to be in close games and do what it takes to win those."



Forward Brad Marchand, who has missed eight of the last 10 games with a concussion, returns to the lineup. David Backes also returns after having surgery to remove portion of his colon due to a bout of diverticulitis.

Also, Adam McQuaid skated on his own before the team's morning skate. The veteran defenseman suffered a broken right fibula on Oct. 19.

"It was nice to see him back out there," Cassidy said.

Forward Anders Bjork has been skating and there's a possibility he could return on the team's next road trip to Philadelphia and Nashville.

Cassidy said it's possible that he'll go with seven defensemen in the lineup again tonight.

"Last Friday (against Pittsburgh) it worked out effectively for us, so it's something we're toying with as well," Cassidy said. "We have seven healthy D so we may go that route."

Here are the projected line combinations and defensive pairings vs. Lightning

Forwards

Marchand-Bergeron-Pastrnak

Heinen-Nash-Backes

Vatrano-Spooner-Acciari

Beleskey-Kuraly-Schaller

Defense

Chara-McAvoy

Krug-Carlo

Grzelcyk-Miller

Postma

Goalies 

Rask

Khudobin