Khudobin Set to Start Between the Pipes in Nashville

NASHVILLE - Anton Khudobin knows what he signed up for. When he returned to Boston last summer, inking a two-year deal for his second stint with the Bruins, he was well aware that it would be his job to backup ace netminder Tuukka Rask.
The 31-year-old backstop has fulfilled that role well and this season has even challenged Rask for playing time. Khudobin has yet to lose in regulation (7-0-2) and is riding a four-game winning streak, while his goals against average (2.22) and save percentage (.932) rank sixth and fourth in the NHL, respectively.

Quite simply, he has been a rock between the pipes. Thus making for a very difficult decision for Bruins head coach Bruce Cassidy, who opted to go with Rask for the last three games.
Like any athlete - particularly one in the midst of a sweltering run - Khudobin would rather being playing than sitting at the end of the bench. But it's a role he understands and accepts.
"I accepted it when I signed the contract," said Khudobin, who will get the start against Nashville on Monday night. "I knew where I was going and I knew why I was going. If I wouldn't accept that, I would pick somewhere else…I knew what the role is for me here.
"Am I happy with [not playing], no. I want to play. But I know Tuukka will play more than me when he's healthy. That's the bottom line."
Khudobin said he has prepared as he always does during this recent three-game stretch and expects to pick up right where he left off when he returns to the net against the Predators.
"I'm doing everything I've been doing. It's harder when you're not playing as much to go in there and be 100 percent," said Khudobin, who last played in Boston's 4-3 win over the Pittsburgh Penguins on Nov. 24. "You're ready 100 percent, but it's harder when you don't feel the game and you go and play.
"You always expect that you're going to play really, really well. You're getting ready for that. I'm not predicting anything, but hopefully it will continue. That's all I can say."

DeBrusk Out

Jake DeBrusk will not play against the Predators, but it appears his return from an upper-body injury could come Thursday against the Arizona Coyotes.
"He's very close, we're just going to give him a little extra time," said Cassidy. "We'll still list him as day-to-day, but Thursday's a good possibility."
Barring any more injuries, DeBrusk's return will require a roster move, something that Cassidy hopes will create a healthy level of competition.
"We've seen it at times up front where we've used younger guys over more established guys," said Cassidy. "You're starting to see it on the back end with Grizz staying in there, you saw it in nets. I think it's good if it makes your team better.
"We have good character in the room, guys that understand what we're trying to do. It's not personal, it's the business side of it where you've got to do your part and do it well. If not, there's people pushing here. And that's what we want, we want to have a deep organization."

Winging It

Ryan Spooner has shifted from center to the wing since his return from injury, a move that Cassidy believes could be a long-term solution, considering the strong play up the middle from Patrice Bergeron, David Krejci, Riley Nash, and Sean Kuraly.
"It could be [permanent]," said Cassidy. "We've really liked what Nash and Kuraly have done to solidify the bottom of the lineup to give us a heavier-looking lineup. That's where he fits right now and he's just got to relish it.
"Talking to him, he's much more open to it, he just wants to play and get healthy. If he ends up back in the middle, fine, but right now he's OK with it."
Spooner, who played the left side with Krejci and Anders Bjork against the Flyers on Saturday, has points in three straight games and scored a nifty breakaway tally in Philadelphia.

Closing it Out

The Bruins, in search of their third straight win Monday night, would like nothing more than to close out their dads trip with another victory.
"The results on the ice have been fantastic, guys smiling, fathers trip," said David Backes. "Morale is high and we have to continue that into a place where Stanley Cup Final games were held last year. We need to have a good performance here to win a game."