The Boston Bruins have completed three injury-related transactions, moving Ryan Spooner to injured reserve, activating David Backes and recalling goaltender Zane McIntyre to serve as backup in tonight’s game. Tuukka Rask, injured at practice yesterday will not dress for the Bruins when they take on the Vancouver Canucks.
Backes’ activation means that the veteran forward will make his season debut tonight after dealing with a bout of diverticulitis to start the year. His return will be a handy one for the Bruins, who have been leaning more and more on their young players recently. Patrice Bergeron, also close to a return is apparently a game-time decision but seems unlikely to play.
Rask’s injury has not been updated, but McIntyre will be on the end of the bench tonight as Anton Khudobin gets his second start of the year. Khudobin has stopped 38 of 40 shots in his two appearances this year, and may have to carry the load for at least a few games. The 27-year old has done it before, and actually has a .917 save percentage during his two separate stints in Boston.
If Khudobin falters McIntyre does actually have eight games of NHL experience, all of which came last season. The 25-year old has posted strong numbers in college and the minor leagues, but only posted a save percentage above .900 in one of his eight appearances. In the three games he started, he allowed 12 goals on 84 shots. Sufficed to say, the Bruins will cross their fingers that Rask’s injury is minor.