Rask not worried about long layoff before Stanley Cup Final

After the Boston Bruins swept the Carolina Hurricanes in four games in the Eastern Conference Final, they were awarded a lengthy rest period. In fact, they ended up with the longest pre-Stanley Cup layoff in NHL history. They will be out of action for 11 days before they begin Game 1 of the Cup Final on Monday, May 27.

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Despite the long layoff, Bruins players haven't seemed concerned about it. And goalie Tuukka Rask is among them. Rask wasn't too worried about time off when asked about the potential effects it could have on him in an interview captured by the Boston Bruins Twitter account.

It’s only as big of a challenge I guess that you make it for yourself. I just practice when we practice and then take time off when there’s days off. I think that’s it. I don’t think about hockey every day, all day. I don’t think that’s gonna do any good. I just stay sharp on the ice, do the work you need to do and then play when the puck drops. That’s about it.

That's a good attitude to have, and it's easy to see why Rask is so confident. So far this postseason, Rask has been terrific, logging a 12-5 record, a .942 save percentage, and a sterling 1.84 goals against average. But time off could impact his rhythm so the team will look to keep him sharp in the coming week.

Rask also addressed whether or not his teammates were actually giving him the silent treatment to avoid breaking his concentration.