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Tuukka Rask is the Boston Bruins number one goalie. Jonas Gustavsson is his back-up. Rask will make $7,000,000 this year. Gustavsson will earn one tenth of that, with a nifty $700,000 contract.
When it comes to playing the Montreal Canadiens, though, it is the back up who is the leader in the statistics category. Gustavsson has a 5-3-1 lifetime record versus the Canadiens. Rask has only three wins, with 14 losses and three overtime losses to go with that.
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It is no surprise that Rask will be on the bench tonight when the Bruins face off against their rivals at Bell Centre. While his career save percentage of .904 is close to that of his back-up’s, (.906) Gustavson has a goals against average of 2.51 against Montreal, while Rask’s is 2.76.
Gustavsson also has not lost a game so far this year, going 3-0 with a miserly goals against average of 2.00. Rask has given up almost a goal and a half more per game, with a 3.46 GAA. He faced Montreal at home in the second game of the season last month and gave up three goals in a 4-2 loss. Rask has also given up 8 goals in his last two games, so perhaps it is prudent to sit him tonight and let him get back at it tomorrow when they travel to Brooklyn to face the Islanders.
Culturess
While the Bruins have been terrific on the road, with 5 wins in 6 game, the Canadiens have been even better at home. They have earned at least one point in each of their first seven home games of a season for the first time since 1994-95 (5-0-2).
Two local products will be partaking in this rivalry for the first time. With Carey Price out injured, Needham native Mike Condon gets the start in between the pipes. All he has done is go 5-0-1 with a league-leading GAA of 1.50! Longmeadow native Frank Vatrano will make his NHL debut tonight. All he has done is average a goal a game for the Providence Bruins, with 10 in 10.