Boston Bruins: Tuukka Rask is heating up at just the right time
By Andrew Yates
Every team making a deep playoff run depends highly on their goaltender getting hot at the right time. That is the case with the Boston Bruins, riding Tuukka Rask in net, as they eliminated the Columbus Blue Jackets in six games, finishing them in style with a 3 -0 shutout victory.
Tuukka Rask, the Bruins starting goaltender, finished the series with a 2.02 goals against average and a 0.948 save percentage, propelling the Boston Bruins to their first Eastern Conference final appearance since the 2012-2013 season.
Rask put his stamp on the series, shutting the door and clinching the series with a 39-save performance against a potent and desperate Blue Jackets squad trying to extend their playoff lives.
The Blue Jackets shocked the hockey world when they swept the Tampa Bay Lightning, winning four games within regulation time.
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The Boston Bruins came off a gritty seven-game series against the Toronto Maple Leafs, and thus didn’t have as much preparation time against the well-rested Blue Jackets; in the end, rest time ended up being a non-factor.
The Bruins’ resilience shone in their first two games, both needing extra time to finish. That was when Tuukka Rask’s brilliance showed, shutting down the Blue Jackets over the next four games and recording a stellar 0.960 save percentage in that time.
Although the numbers show his best games came late in this series, Rask got the ball rolling back when he helped the Boston Bruins overcome a 3-2 series deficit against the Maple Leafs. The Bruins played from behind that entire series, falling behind 1-0, 2-1 and 3-2.
With the help of the Bruins defence corps, Tuukka Rask cracked down, limiting the Leafs to five goals in the last three games of the series, recording a 0.940 save percentage in the process.
Rask carried that momentum against the Blue Jackets, coming in clutch as the series grew on. Rask faced a total of 212 shots and currently leads all goalies who have played at least three games this playoffs with an average 0.938 save percentage over 13 games played.
Another factor that shouldn’t be overlooked when measuring Rask’s success this playoff run is how well head coach Bruce Cassidy balanced the workload between the two goaltenders.
Over the regular season, Tuukka Rask played in 46 games, with the rest of the workload going towards backup goaltender Jaroslav Halak. That allowed Rask to get through a gritty series with the Toronto Maple Leafs while still remaining fresh for a six-game bout with the Blue Jackets.
Going forward, the Boston Bruins will need Rask at his best. The Carolina Hurricanes made quick work of the New York Islanders and in their last four playoff runs, haven’t been eliminated any sooner than the Eastern Conference finals.
Next. David Krejci is owning his second line role. dark
The Bruins need to carry their momentum forward as they potentially collide into another gritty, difficult series with another team that has a goaltender getting hot at the right time.