Tuukka Rask declines talk of injury, future after Bruins eliminated from playoffs

The season is over, but the questions about Tuukka Rask are still unanswered.

What was his injury? How severe was it? Does he expect or want to be back with the Boston Bruins next year?

The 34-year-old goalie declined questions about his health and the future after Wednesday’s season-ending loss to the New York Islanders in Game 6 of the Stanley Cup playoffs. He promised more information not far down the road.

“I don’t really want to talk about (the injury). We’re going to release an injury report in a couple days and have our exit meetings. We can talk about it then. I promise I’ll give you a full load then,” Rask said. “I don’t think that needs to be a headline now.”

Rask, who is an unrestricted free agent, said he wanted more time to digest the season that just finished before making any decisions or comments about his future.

“We’ll see. I don’t have any thoughts right now. It’s a pretty tough loss,” he said. “I’m going to sleep a few nights and we’re going to have our exit meetings, then we’ll start planning for the future.”

Rask did confirm Bruce Cassidy’s statement that he might be facing surgery. He said he tried to ignore the injury during the games.

“When you’re injured it’s nagging in the back of your head, but you try to push it out and focus on the game itself,” he said. “I definitely battled and left it all out there. We just fell a little short this time.”

Rask said numerous times throughout the playoffs that he wasn’t 100 percent. But through his first nine postseason games, Rask was 6-3 with a 1.94 goals against average and a .935 save percentage in the postseason. But in Game 5 and 6, he appeared to be moving less fluidly. With him at less than 100 percent and the Boston defense decimated by injuries, the Bruins were overmatched.

The Bruins gave up four goals before the third period in each of the last two games. Cassidy lifted Rask for rookie Jeremy Swayman between the second and third periods of Game 5, but went back to Rask in Game 6.

“I could have made a couple more saves, definitely,” Rask said. “I should have made a few of those saves to keep it tighter I didn’t do it today. That’s disappointing. I battled. I tried. I fell short.”

Related content:

Tuukka Rask injury: Boston Bruins goalie will start in Game 6 vs. New York Islanders

Bruins injury update: Tuukka Rask uncertain, Kevan Miller, Brandon Carlo, Curtis Lazar all out for Game 6

Bruins’ Tuukka Rask shakes off health questions, Islanders to lead Boston to 2-1 series lead