From CSN New England’s Joe Haggerty:
Tuukka Rask said he was "at about 40 percent" from flu when he missed game vs Sweden. Refuted whispers he was out partying rather than sick
— Joe Haggerty (@HackswithHaggs) February 27, 2014
Rask, of course, came back to shut out the Americans, 5-0, in the bronze-medal game; however, his last-minute withdrawal from Finland’s semifinal contest versus rival Sweden caused quite the stir at the time.
Kari Lehtonen started in Rask’s place and stopped 23 of 25 shots in the 2-1 loss, which sent the Swedes to the gold-medal game versus Canada. Though Lehtonen didn’t play particularly poorly, the winning goal, on a point shot by Erik Karlsson, left a lot of Finnish fans wondering if the outcome would’ve been different if a healthy Rask had been in there.
Related: Did too much Austrian partying cost them a spot in the quarterfinals?