Boston Bruins: Goaltender Tuukka Rask Hopeful to Play Before Regular Season Ends

Boston Bruins goaltender Tuukka Rask hopes to play again before the end of the regular season following his recovery from an abdomen injury that has sidelined him since March 3. According to Joe Haggerty of Comcast Sportsnet:

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"I'd like to get in a game before season is over," Rask said, "but to be ready for playoffs is the goal."

Rask also said he'd like to get back on the ice next week barring any unforeseen issues. 

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Rask told ESPN Boston:

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“It’s tough to speculate,” he said. “You never know. We’ll see how it goes. Maybe I’ll hit the ice next week if everything goes good and go from there.” 

He added, “You can’t rush these kinds of injuries, but hopefully.” 

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Rask being ahead of schedule in his recovery is fantastic news for the Bruins. With all due respect for current backup goalie Marty Turco, he's clearly not at the level of Rask at this stage of his career.

The ideal situation would be for Rask to get a game or two under his belt before the Stanley Cup Playoffs begin on April 11; that way, he can shake off any rust and get back into the normal game flow.

Having Rask play a game or two at the end of the season would also allow starting goaltender Tim Thomas to get some much-needed rest before the playoff grind starts up again.

Thomas has played nearly every game in March for the Bruins and has had to carry the team by himself between the pipes while Rask has been hurt.

Next week is the final week of the regular season. The Bruins play four times, including matchups against New York Rangers and Pittsburgh Penguins, two of the NHL's best teams. 

If all goes according to plan and the Bruins have both the Northeast Division and the No. 2 seed locked up soon, maybe playing the final game of the season against the Buffalo Sabres would be a good test for Rask before the playoffs.

Either way, it's encouraging for the Bruins that Rask is progressing well in his recovery.

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Nicholas Goss is a Boston Bruins Featured Columnist for Bleacher Report and was the organization's on-site reporter for the 2011 Stanley Cup Finals in Boston.