Tuukka Rask won’t travel with the Bruins, another shot for Svedberg?

Jan 2, 2014; Boston, MA, USA; Boston Bruins goalie Niklas Svedberg (72) makes a save during the second period against the Nashville Predators at TD Banknorth Garden. Mandatory Credit: Greg M. Cooper-USA TODAY Sports

Tuukka Rask will not be attending tomorrow’s game in Buffalo. This news came from Bruins’ head coach Claude Julien who decided that Rask could be rested going in against the anemic Buffalo Sabres (who are currently forty points behind the Bruins in the Atlantic standings). “With Tuukka,” offered Julien after today’s practice. “I’ll use [Chad] Johnson tomorrow and [Niklas] Svedberg will back him up. So we’ve left Tuukka behind, and he’s going start his workouts tomorrow, maybe off-ice, and then Thursday on the ice with us.”

While he may be the ‘back up’ for tomorrow’s game, Coach Julien has dropped last second surprises on us in the past, and it’s entirely possible that he puts Niklas Svedberg in net over Chad Johnson.

Yestrerday was Svedberg’s second call up with the Boston organization. So far this season, Svedberg has played a single game for Boston, earning a 3-2 OT win against the Nashville Predators. In his NHL debut, he stopped thirty three of thirty five shots sent at him by Nashville.  On the AHL front, ‘Sveddy’ has put in thirty five games in Providence putting up a 20-11-3 record. He has a tolerable 2.71 goals against average and a .910 save percentage. He has two shutouts so far this season. (His career record is 57-19-5 in the AHL.)

Last season saw Svedberg win thirty seven games (second in the AHL, and second in AHL history for a rookie goalie) with a 2.17 goals against average (fifth in the AHL), .925 save percentage (third in the AHL). He also earned four shutouts. He also earned the Aldege “Baz” Bastien Memorial Award. The Bastien is given annually to the AHL’s outstanding goaltender as voted on by coaches, the media, and the players. This made Svedberg the first rookie to be named the AHL’s best goaltender since the 1994-95 season.

Svedberg previously played three full seasons in the SEL (Swedish Elite League) before being picked up by the Bruins organization.