Might Tuukka Rask's injury be the one that really cripples the 2011-12 Bruins? 

The B’s are already without Nathan Horton (concussion), Rich Peverley (knee), Andrew Ference and possibly Daniel Paille. The struggles without Horton and Peverley had been bad enough, but going forward without Rask is an entirely different story. 

The B’s lost Rask, a guy who is only a No. 2 goalie here because Tim Thomas happens to be the other netminder on the roster, to an apparent lower-body in the second period of Saturday’s loss to the Islanders. Rask was stretched out trying to make a save on a Matt Martin shot. When he finally got up, he wasn't able to put pressure on his left leg as teammates Joe Corvo and Greg Zanon helped him off the ice. 

If you were one of the fans who wanted the B’s to part with Rask in order to get Rick Nash from Columbus, Saturday provided a reminder as to why trading Rask for anyone this season would have been a mistake: The Bruins need both of their goaltenders. You don’t want Tim Thomas getting overworked, and given the quality of talent between the pipes in Providence, you can’t afford to give all of Rask’s starts to Michael Hutchinson.

At this point, all we know is that Rask won’t make the Bruins’ two-game road trip to New York and Toronto, and according to the Patriot Ledger’s Mike Loftus, Rask left the Garden Saturday on crutches. If he's out for a significant stretch, the Bruins could be in big trouble – if not now, then in the postseason should all the extra work tire out Thomas. 

After coming in Saturday and taking the loss in relief in Rask, Thomas will play on back-to-back days for the third time this season when the B’s face the Rangers at Madison Square Garden. Not counting Sunday, the Bruins will have four games in three of the five remaining weeks in the regular season.

It also isn’t like the Bruins are leading the conference by 10-plus points and can just sit back, relax and keep Thomas fresh. They’re a team that’s gone 23 games without winning two in a row, and though they have three games in hand on the Senators, the Bruins’ three-point lead isn’t insurmountable as long as they aren’t consistently getting points. 

If the Bruins end up without Rask down the stretch, Thomas will face a challenge bigger than the one he faced last season. Thomas thrived in a two-goalie system and razor-sharp when it came time for him to handle every game in the playoffs. Doing it again if he has to essentially be Carey Price down the stretch will be much tougher. 

“If we lose [Rask], for Timmy it’s going to be tough because he’s going to be playing more,” defenseman Dennis Seidenberg said after the game. “That’s going to be an extra load for Timmy, but I’m sure he’ll be ready for it. He loves challenges, and I’m sure he’s going to come out on top for this one too. “

There isn’t a question of whether Thomas will rise to the challenge, as there are few players more mentally tough than him in the league. What remains to be seen is how he could handle it physically. The Bruins have a lot of games upcoming in a short period of time, and the 37-year-old benefited from more rest last year. The Bruins had better hope that Rask’s injury isn’t serious enough to prevent Thomas from being kept fresh again this year, as Rask’s injury could be the one that dooms the Bruins’ season. 

SOMETHING TO PROVE VS. RANGERS

The Bruins aren’t going to catch the Rangers for the No. 1 seed in the Eastern conference, but there’s plenty to be gained from a win Sunday in New York. 

Since the Bruins began their midseason whatever-you-want-to-call-it that has had them turning in more drowsy efforts than hard-fought victories, the Rangers have established themselves as the best team in the conference – not just in the standings, but on the ice. 

There’s something to be said about teams getting all fired up and elevating their game to beat the Stanley Cup champions, but right now, the Rangers won’t really be proving anything that haven’t already proved this season if they defeat the B’s on Sunday. They are without question the better team this season, and it’s actually up to the defending champs to show they can hang with New York. 

In the first of the two games the teams have played this season, the Bruins showed they could hang with the Rangers, sticking with them in a tight game that was essentially lost in overtime by a bad Andrew Ference penalty. In their second meeting, they turned in a decent effort but got blanked by Henrik Lundqvist. Saturday will be their third of four meetings this season.  

“We’re playing a great team tomorrow, so we’re aware what’s going on, they’re first in the standings,” Patrice Bergeron said Saturday. “And for us, it’s about going out there and playing our game and making sure it happens. It’s two huge points, and they’re a great team, and we have to match that intensity, that physicality, and play our game.”

The Rangers didn’t go out and make a big splash for Nash, but then again they really didn’t need to. Their offense is still 11th in the league, and when you have Lundqvist in net and a team dedicated to blocking shots, that’s enough to get two points most nights. If the Bruins can come out strong and fight the urge to take a second-period nap (a common problem over the last couple of months), a win would go a long way in getting them back to their dominant selves of November and December.

"We’re fine, we’re definitely fine," Johnny Boyhcuk, who referenced bad bounces, said after Saturday's loss. "Once we get those goals, nobody will be saying anything about how you are going to get two wins in a row, [they'll be saying we're] a contender again, and we are. I feel everybody is confident in this room that we can do it again."