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Boston Bruins: Jaroslav Halak signing is definitely paying off

By Cameron Burgess

ANAHEIM, CA - FEBRUARY 15: Boston Bruins goalies Jaroslav Halak (41) and Tuukka Rask (40) celebrate on the ice after the Bruins defeated the Anaheim Ducks 3 to 0 in a game played on February 15, 2019 at the Honda Center in Anaheim, CA. (Photo by John Cordes/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images)
ANAHEIM, CA - FEBRUARY 15: Boston Bruins goalies Jaroslav Halak (41) and Tuukka Rask (40) celebrate on the ice after the Bruins defeated the Anaheim Ducks 3 to 0 in a game played on February 15, 2019 at the Honda Center in Anaheim, CA. (Photo by John Cordes/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images) /
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When the Boston Bruins signed Jaroslav Halak over last summer, it was with the thought that he would be a reliable option to give Tuukka Rask some extra rest throughout the season. However, nobody could have pictured it working out as well as it has.

There was once a time where fans in Montreal were debating over whether to keep Jaroslav Halak or Carey Price. The Canadiens ultimately decided to move on from Halak and even though he has bounced around a bit over the years, he has managed to carve out a pretty successful career for himself. The latest stop on his NHL journey began when Halak signed a two-year deal with the Boston Bruins prior to the 2018-19 season to backup Tuukka Rask.

Jaroslav Halak proved to be much more than just another backup goalie for the Boston Bruins during his first season with the team. He was able to play in meaningful games all season long, and was there to take control of the crease while Tuukka Rask struggled a bit early in the season.

In total, Halak started 37 games for the Bruins this season, posting a 22-11-4 record with a 2.34 goals against average, .922 save percentage and five shutouts.

Halak became a reliable option for the Bruins and allowed them to give Rask some extra rest during the regular season. In fact, Rask’s 45 starts this season was his lowest total in a season since the lockout-shortened 2012-13 season.

That was a big decline in minutes from just two seasons ago where Rask started 64 games, and there is a noticeable difference in his play between previous years and now. Last year the Bruins knocked that number down to 53 starts, with Anton Khudobin proving to be a reliable option for the Bruins.

However, with Khudobin in high demand after his strong season, the Bruins were once again looking for a reliable backup goalie. Jaroslav Halak was the answer and proved to be everything the team was looking for and more.

Statistically, Jaroslav Halak actually performed better than Tuukka Rask of the Boston Bruins this season. He had a better save percentage, goals against average, and even one more shutout. This just shows the strength of the Boston Bruins’ goalie tandem and is exactly why the team had the confidence to play Halak as much as they did throughout the season.

Even though Halak hasn’t played for the Bruins during the playoffs, his role with the team all season long is part of the reason why they’ve been so successful during the post-season.

That extra rest for Rask has translated into a dominant playoff performance so far and is a large reason why the Bruins are on the verge of their first Stanley Cup Final appearance since 2013.

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