Bruins goalie Tuukka Rask opts out of Stanley Cup playoffs

Bruins goalie Tuukka Rask has opted out of the Stanley Cup playoffs, the team announced Saturday. Boston is currently tied 1-1 in the first round of the playoffs in a series against the Carolina Hurricanes.

Rask said he opted out due to a desire to be with his family:

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Rask and his wife Jaroslav Halak have three young girls together, including Livia, who was born in late April. Bruins general manager Don Sweeney said Saturday Rask’s return to his family wasn’t triggered by a specific incident, saying they were safe and healthy amid the coronavirus pandemic. He added that he wasn’t “entirely caught off guard” by Rask’s decision.

It’s also worth noting that Rask, a Finnish national, has been away from his family for some time to help the Bruins in their postseason bid:

It should also be noted that Rask has not much enjoyed the NHL’s bubble atmosphere, even as the league has progressed to the postseason:

“To be honest with you, it doesn’t really feel like playoff hockey out there. There are no fans, so it’s kind of like playing an exhibition game,” Rask said following Boston’s Game 2 loss to the Hurricanes. “It’s definitely not a playoff atmosphere out there. You try and play as hard as you can. When you’re playing at a home rink and an away rink and the fans are cheering for and against you, it really creates a buzz for the series.

“There’s none of that. So it just feels like dull at times. There are moments when there are scrums and whatnot, and then there will be five minutes when it’s coast-to-coast hockey. There’s no atmosphere. So it feels like an exhibition game. We’re trying our best to ramp and get energized, and make it feel like it’s a playoff game.”

Veteran backup Jaroslav Halak is expected to get the start for Boston in Game 3 of the Hurricanes series.