Notebook: Rask getting back-to-back starts, decision coming ‘fairly soon’ on Kovar

For the first time in close to three weeks, the Bruins are set to roll out Tuukka Rask for back-to-back games.

After stopping 28 of 29 shots — including a perfect 10-for-10 showing in the overtime and shootout of Thursday's win over the Islanders — Rask will once again get the call in net on Saturday against the Red Wings.

"He’s played well,” Bruce Cassidy said of Rask on Friday at Warrior Ice Arena. “Real solid for us, so has Jaroslav Halak. We haven’t really strung a few games together for Tuukka now, jeez, I don’t know when. We’ve got four (games) next week, so we thought this would be a good time, a couple of home games, a few days off. Montreal was his last start, so as good as time as any and hopefully he’s up for it.”

While Halak has been phenomenal all season for the Black and Gold (8-3-2, .936 save percentage), Rask appears to have turned the corner from his early-season struggles — posting a 2-0-2 record with a .944 save percentage over his last four starts.

In his career against Detroit, Rask is 13-5-3 with a .905 save percentage — with this back-to-back stretch standing as his first since playing on Nov. 5 and Nov. 8 against the Stars and Canucks, respectively. 

Rask and Halak might be the only way this shorthanded Bruins club emerges from this horrid stretch of injuries in somewhat decent shape — with Boston steadily accruing points off of one-goal games and OT bouts.

Goals have come at a premium for the Black and Gold as of late, with the club only averaging two goals per game over their last seven outings. Five-on-five play has been a sluggish affair as of late for the B’s — who have usually relied on their power play (29.8 percent) to generate a good chunk of their scoring.

It should come as no surprise that Rask will get the edge over Halak in terms of workload as the season progresses. Sure, Halak has been spectacular, but he’s currently on a pace to play in 72 games this season — far beyond his career high of 59 games played during the 2014-15 season.

But with Halak playing at a high level and Rask appearing to settle into a groove, the B’s have at least one aspect of their roster firing on all cylinders.

Decision coming on Kovar

Czech forward Jan Kovar was once again at Warrior Ice Arena today, centering the second line of Danton Heinen and Jake DeBrusk with David Krejci out for a maintenance day.

Kovar, without a contract after ending his PTO deal with Providence, is still looking to break into a NHL roster this season, with his latest attempt coming off of what he can show Cassidy and Don Sweeney over the next couple of days during practice.

The production is there for the playmaking center — at least down in the AHL (10 points in 12 games) and in Russia (97 goals, 286 points in 285 games).

The question with the 28-year-old pivot is pace — along with if the B’s view a younger skater like Jakob Forsbacka Karlsson or Colby Cave as a better alternative, especially with Boston needing to ink Kovar to a contract before he can actually get into game action.

With a road trip to Florida on the docket at the start of next week, Cassidy expects a resolution to be coming in regards to Kovar.

“Fairly soon, I would think,” Cassidy said. “That’s going to be up to Donny. … He’ll make that call.”

Boston was in this position earlier this season, with the club opting to go with younger talent over a veteran PTO option like Lee Stempniak. Still, given the injury to Patrice Bergeron and the need for a scoring punch down the middle, Kovar still stands as an intriguing option.

“There’s clearly skills,” Cassidy said of Kovar. “He’s proven that at Providence and he’s put up numbers in the past. It’s just, is he going to make us a better team or do we like what we have or do we want to work with what we have? That’s the ultimate question.

“If you’re talking about a guy that’s a little bit further in his career than a JFK or a (Trent Frederic) who’s not here, Cave — they’re younger guys. Are they going to be better players in two, three months by playing here? Or are we better off with the older guys? We’ve had that conversation about Stempniak. To be perfectly honest with you, we were be better off hanging with the guys and decided to stick with the plan with the younger guys and obviously that’s a day-to-day discussion.”

Reinforcements on the way

Boston’s beleaguered blue line might have some help on the way **fingers crossed**.

After missing the last nine games due to an upper-body injury, Brandon Carlo is expected to return to the lineup on Saturday — with the 22-year-old defenseman skating on Boston’s top pairing alongside Torey Krug during Friday’s practice.

There was a possibility that Carlo could have played Thursday after skating in full practices for most of the weekday, but Cassidy doesn’t expect any limitations on Saturday.

“Carlo looks good,” Cassidy said. “He’s doing a little extra (work) now, will be a game-time decision. Looks probable.”

Once again, Charlie McAvoy was back on the ice with the B’s on Friday, taking part in practice while donning a red, non-contact sweater. The skilled defenseman, who has not played since Oct. 18 due to concussion-like symptoms, is gradually getting back into the fold, even taking part in three-on-three drills on Friday with his teammates.

“Yeah, he’s doing a little more work which again, he’s progressing well,” Cassidy said of McAvoy. “Once he’s out of that maroon jersey and practicing full go, we can start projecting him.”