Put me in, Coach !! I’m fine !!

[Dr.Brad]

So just a quick question: Is a 75% Tuukka Rask who has trouble moving laterally, really REALLY better than the combination of Halak and Swayman, both of whom were at 100% ?

Is it professional athletes’ ego that says “I’m ok?”

Did he tell the team doctors? Gotta believe he did.

And now he’s going to have hip surgery and be out until February. This wasn’t a positive for anyone except the Islanders.

Again, I’m a fan with no inside info, but are these fair points?

[Feenom]

If he said he was “ok” then it was a bit selfish knowing he wasn’t 100%. If the docs/coaches thought that 75% Rask gives them a better chance to win than the other 2, then it’s on them. I gotta think if Rask wants to play then he plays. A bit of “you gotta go with the work horse” mentality. All of us watching could see Rask wasn’t 100%, so it wasn’t a secret to the team. Fair point for sure since it definitely helped the Isles and hindered the B’s.

[chuckcouples]

The same philosophy turned out fairly well for the Lightning with Kucherov last year. Hindsight is always 20-20.

[Bubba55]

This is a scenario which repeatedly plays out in all professional sports. Some times it works out, and sometimes it doesn't. The stakes are high when we are talking playoff games. The athletes want to play, that's what they do, that's what they are paid al lot of money to do whether they're banged up a bit or not, and who can really tell other than the player themselves whether they are ready or not. In situations like this, the coach is in tough. Do you sit an elite athlete in a playoff game because you think they may not be 100% when the player themselves is saying they are good to go? Bottom line based on the decision is your either a goat or a genius. As chuckcouples said, it worked out for Tampa, it didn't work out for Bruce Cassidy, Rask and the Bruins this year.

[newfcollins]

Look at almost every single time when a team is eliminated in the postseason. Stories come out about which players are injured, which ones need surgery, etc.

I mean, in 2013, Patrice Bergeron played in the finals with a broken rib, punctured lung, and separated shoulder. This is nothing new, and I'm unsure why it's an issue with Rask if it's not an issue with anyone else.

[forumname]

Look at almost every single time when a team is eliminated in the postseason. Stories come out about which players are injured, which ones need surgery, etc.

I mean, in 2013, Patrice Bergeron played in the finals with a broken rib, punctured lung, and separated shoulder. This is nothing new, and I'm unsure why it's an issue with Rask if it's not an issue with anyone else.

Sure, but Bergeron with a broken rib is probably still better than whoever they would be able to call up to replace him. It's different with an injured goalie when there are capable backups available.

[kovalchuk17]

If i was coach and my probably hall of fame goalie says he can play. Id let him play.

It would be different if my 1B was Robin Lehner and not a rookie. Swayman is good, but still a rookie.

[BlackhawksFan]

Yeah, this was a tough call. It is tough to go with Swayman, an untested rookie with no playoff experience, other than the partial game he got into. He looked a bit shaky in his playoff relief debut, although BOS as a whole didn't look sharp at all that game, so cant blame Swayman 100%. Had Swayman been "lights out" in relief I wonder if that would have changed things a bit?