By Tony Massarotti, 98.5 The Sports Hub
The goalkeeper does not guarantee your skepticism under the circumstances. That, honestly, should be reserved for the goal scorer.
That Tuukka Rask is gone, after he officially refused her out of the bubble on Sunday, just hours before the Bruins took over the Carolina Hurricanes in Game 3 of the first round of the NHL playoffs. Rask’s departure was groundbreaking and potentially costly, the most classic example of be careful what you wish for. If you were among the many who were critical of Rask’s playing and championship potential over the years, then you have what you wanted. He’s gone.
But if you choose to get bored, the man you should be really frustrated with remains David Pastrnak.
With Pastrnak absent again, the Bruins defeated the Hurricanes by a score of 3-1 on Saturday to take a 2-1 lead. So what’s the problem? With Pastrnak out, the Bruins have scored one equally strong goal in the last two games – a low-net by Brad Marchand in the final seconds of Game 3. If that does not change – and soon – the Bruins will not have a many chances to win the Stanley Cup, regardless of who is in goal.
Here’s the other thing: if Rask’s absence had been inevitable – and by all accounts, it seems directly or tangentially related to the pandemic – Pastrnak might have been. He has a physical injury, and one can not help but wonder if it is the direct result of poor preparation. Do not forget that Pastrnak was too late to report for the start of the training camp and then had to be quarantined, something that even Bruins president Cam Neely openly questioned.
“We had the date before the start of the camp and knew that some players might have to be quarantined when they arrive here, you hope they would come here a little earlier,” Neely told reporters. ‘But we didn’t really have much to say about that and that was really left to the players. And so of course, with something played out and transpired, you would surely hope that some different decisions have been made. But in the long run, I do not know if it will really affect us when we come to Toronto. I think we’ll be fine. ”
So now we have to ask: has it affected them? And if Pastrnak suffered an injury that caused Patrice Bergeron’s overtime goal in Game 1, well, did the injury result because he stepped up his condition too fast after being late for the party?
So fine, be frustrated at Tuukka if you want to. The target position comes with built-in control.
But if we doubt the true validity of an absence, should not Pastrnak be first on the list?
You can hear Tony Massarotti weekdays from 2-6 pm EST on the Felger & Massarotti program. Follow him on Twitter @TonyMassarotti.
