NHL surprise
Boston goalie Tuukka Rask opts out hours before playoff game vs. Carolina.
The Boston Bruins, shortly after waking up Saturday to face the Carolina Hurricanes, found out goaltender Tuukka Rask was opting out of the NHL playoffs to be with his family.
While the defending Eastern Conference champions are supporting their teammate at least publicly, they’re focusing on their quest to go a step further in the playoffs than they did a year ago with Rask in net.
Jaroslav Halak stopped 29 shots after starting on short notice in place of Rask and Charlie Coyle provided plenty of offense, scoring once and setting up another goal to help Boston beat Carolina, 31, to take a 2-1 lead in their first-round series at Scotiabank Arena in Toronto.
“We move on,” Bruins coach Bruce Cassidy said. “I know it sounds cold, but on the professional part of it we have a job to do here.”
Rask, a Vezina Trophy finalist, is the highest-profile player to opt out of the NHL’s return from the coronavirus pandemic shutdown. He led the league with a 2.12 goalsagainst average and helped Boston reach Game 7 of the Stanley Cup final a year ago.
Rask left the league’s bubble in Toronto to be with his wife and three young children, including a newborn.
“We found out shortly before departure of the bus,” Boston defenseman Zdeno Chara recalled. “Obviously, our first concern is the health and safety of his family.”
Game 4 is Monday night, when fifth-seeded Carolina might be without Andrei Svechnikov against fourthseeded Boston. The 20-yearold Russian standout forward was injured late in the game when his right leg, near his ankle, buckled after getting tied up with Chara in front of the net.
More games Lightning 3, Blue Jackets
2: Andrei Vasilevskiy made 16 saves to lead Tampa Bay to a 2-1 lead in the best-ofseven Eastern Conference playoff series in Toronto. Alex Killorn, Brayden Point and Victor Hedman scored, and the Lightning held off a 6-on-5 push by the Blue Jackets late. Game 4 is Monday.
Riley Nash and Eric Robinson scored for the Blue Jackets, and Joonas Korpisalo made 31 stops after piling up 121 saves in the first two games of the series, including a five-overtime loss Tuesday night.
The Lightning outshot Columbus, 34-17, including 164 in the second period.
Coyotes 4, Avalanche 2:
Darcy Kuemper stopped 49 shots and Arizona held on to beat Colorado in the other matinee from the Western Conference hub in Edmonton, Alberta. Colorado leads the series, 2-1.
Arizona took the early lead on Derek Stepan’s first-period goal, then spent most of the day counterpunching against Colorado’s relentless pressure.
Andre Burakovsky tied it in the second period in one Avalanche flurry, but Brad Richardson Richardson put the Coyotes up, 2-1, in the closing seconds. Kuemper made a series of difficult saves in the third period and Taylor Hall scored on an empty net, seemingly sealing it.
Mikko Rantanen gave Colorado life, following Hall’s goal by scoring with 1:03 left. Lawson Crouse finally put it out of reach with an empty-net goal to give Arizona life heading into Monday for Game 4.