Bruins' Tuukka Rask: Set to start season opener

Rask is in line to start Thursday's season opener at Columbus.

Analysis:

Rask is slated to start the bulk of the Bruins' games this season, health permitting, with Anton Khudobin back for his second stint with Boston to provide a solid veteran backup presence. Rask's prospects of engineering a bounce-back campaign in 2016-17 hinge in large part on the ability of the team's blue line to gel out of the gate. With the sturdy and experienced Adam McQuaid and Kevan Miller both sidelined Thursday, promising youngsters Brandon Carlo and Rob O'Gara are poised to fill in on that front. Meanwhile, the B's top forward, Patrice Bergeron is also sidelined for the team's opener, with a minor lower-body injury.