BOSTON -- It was the biggest game of the season for the Boston Bruins and they had to play without their No. 1 goalie Tuukka Rask, who was sidelined with an illness.
Despite a 6-1 loss to the Ottawa Senators, not one Bruins player blamed it on Rask's absence. They simply played a terrible game at the most inopportune time with a Stanley Cup playoff berth at stake. Now, the offseason officially begins for the Bruins for the second consecutive season.
"It shouldn't have been an issue," said Bruins coach Claude Julien of Rask's absence. "He is a great goaltender but our team could have easily played much better and allowed [Jonas Gustavsson] to be the winning goalie today.