Rask: “It Doesn’t Really Feel Like Playoff Hockey Out There”

After the Boston Bruins fell 3-2 to Carolina Hurricanes on Thursday, Boston goaltender Tuukka Rask made some questionable comments to the media.

“It doesn’t really feel like playoff hockey out there,” Rask said. “There’s no fans. It feels like an exhibition game.”

The comments came after Rask stopped 23 of 26 shots he faced. Rask has allowed three goals in each of the first two games of the series.

“You’re trying to play as hard as you can and obviously you’re playing a best-of-seven series so there’s going to be some battles going on and whatnot, but when you play in a home rink or an away rink and there’s fans cheering for you or against you it creates another buzz around the series,” Rask said, “but there’s none of that. It just feels dull at times.”

The NHL opted to finish its season in a bubble, with the Bruins playing their games in the Eastern Conference bubble in Toronto without fans.

“We’re doing our best to ramp up and make it feel like a playoff hockey game,” Rask said.