Updated: March 5, 2012, 9:50 PM ET
[h2]Bruins' Tuukka Rask out 4-6 weeks[/h2]
By Joe McDonald
ESPNBoston.com
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Boston Bruins goaltender
Tuukka Rask was diagnosed with a lower abdomen/groin strain and will miss four to six weeks, the team announced Monday night.
As a result of the injury, the Bruins signed veteran netminder
Marty Turco to a one-year contract.
Turco, 36, played in only four regular-season games for EC Red Bull Salzburg in the Austrian First Division this season. He will be placed on NHL waivers, and if he clears, he will join the Bruins on Wednesday. If he clears waivers, Turco will not be eligible for the Stanley Cup playoffs because he will join the Bruins after the trade deadline.
Turco's contract is pro rated for $600,000, a league source tells ESPN.com's Pierre LeBrun.
Turco played 10 seasons in the NHL with the
Dallas Stars and
Chicago Blackhawks. He has a 273-165-43 career record with a 2.35 goals-against average and a .910 save percentage. He posted 41 career shutouts and compiled six 30-plus win seasons.
After playing the first nine years of his career with Dallas, Turco spent the 2010-2011 season with the Blackhawks and posted an 11-11-3 record with a 3.02 GAA and an .897 save percentage.
Rask suffered the injury at 9:01 of the second period while making a save against the
New York Islanders last Saturday at TD Garden. He fell to the ice in pain and needed to be helped off. At the time, the score was tied at 1-1, and the Bruins eventually lost 3-2.
Rask is 11-8-3 with a 2.05 goals-against average and a .929 save percentage in 23 games this season.
With Rask sidelined, the Bruins recalled goaltender
Michael Hutchinson from the Providence Bruins of the AHL. At the time of his recall from Providence, Hutchinson was 6-11-0 with a 2.62 goals-against average and a .920 save percentage.
Tim Thomas, the Bruins' primary goaltender and the reigning Vezina and Conn Smythe trophy winner, is 27-15-0 with a 2.28 GAA and .926 save percentage in 45 games this season.
Joe McDonald covers the Bruins for ESPNBoston.com.
this isn't good...and turco can't play in the playoffs because it's already past the deadline. i think at this point, we can spare some more losses if we don't sweat seeding...so get thomas some rest because he looks BEAT. he's not playing well anyway. split the rest of the season between turco and timmy imo.