Five games into the 2016-2017 National Hockey League season, the Boston Bruins are already without both their number one and number two goaltenders. Tuukka Rask suffered what has been rumored to be a groin injury/hamstring pull and has not practiced or played since Thursday, October 20th. The timeline for Rask’s return is considered “day-to-day” and no official diagnosis has been given. Backup goaltender Anton Khudobin participated in the Bruins practice on Monday, but for only about five minutes, where he then left the ice nursing his hand/lower arm. Today, Tuesday, it was revealed that Khudobin suffered what would be labeled as an “upper-body” injury and that he would be sidelined for at least three weeks.
Bruins to Start Malcolm Subban in Net Amidst Injuries
With the Bruins playing the Minnesota Wild Tuesday night and then traveling to Manhattan to face the New York Rangers on Wednesday, both Malcolm Subban and Zane McIntyre have been called up from the American Hockey League‘s and Boston Bruins minor league team, the Providence Bruins. Subban, who has been apart of the Bruins organization for four years now (Drafted first round in 2012), has had a rocky start to the AHL season, posting an 0-3-1 record with a .856 save percentage, and a goals average against of 4.50.
“If we have to make adjustments and have some new personnel, we’ll deal with it. If he’s going in goal, he’ll go in goal, it’s simple as that,” Bruins head coach Claude Julien had to say regarding the current goaltending situation and in Malcolm Subban’s call up. (Quote via FoxSports.com).
Zane McIntyre, who will serve as Subban’s relief, was selected by the Bruins 165th overall in the 2010 NHL Entry Draft. Since then he has finished his career at the University of North Dakota and in 2015-2016, joined the Providence Bruins. He was called up on Saturday to serve as backup when the Bruins took on the Montreal Canadiens, but did not see any time on ice.
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