Boston Bruins: 2019 Stanley Cup Playoff grade for Tuukka Rask

While it is disappointing to lose in the Stanley Cup Final, there’s a very good chance that the Boston Bruins don’t even make it that far without the play of Tuukka Rask during their playoff run.

Goaltending is always a key factor when the playoffs start, and luckily for the Boston Bruins, Tuukka Rask stepped up at the most important time.

Rask stood tall against the Toronto Maple Leafs in the first round, out-duelled Sergei Bobrovsky and the Columbus Blue Jackets in round two, made light work of the Carolina Hurricanes in the Eastern Conference Final, and took the Bruins to Game 7 of the Stanley Cup Final. If there is any blame to go around for the loss, none of it is on the man between the pipes.

The 32-year-old was consistently the best player on the ice for the Bruins, but played exceptionally well when the team needed it the most. Rask finished the playoffs with a .934 save percentage and 2.02 goals against average, ranking second in both categories, while also recording two shutouts.

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While his numbers dipped during the Stanley Cup Final, he still statistically outplayed Jordan Binnington. Both goaltenders had a .912 Sv% but Rask’s 2.44 GAA was better than his counterpart at 2.75.

While there has been a narrative that Rask underwhelms in big games, his performance this postseason can put that to rest. Rask had a 5-1 record with the Bruins facing elimination or in a position to close out a series, with the lone loss coming in Game 7 against the Blues. But Rask fought off elimination in Game 6 against the Leafs and closed them out in Game 7 while only allowing three goals throughout those games.

He then eliminated the Blue Jackets with a shutout in Game 6, and completed the sweep against the Hurricanes with another shutout in Game 4. He then made 28 saves in Game 6 against the Blues to force Game 7, before the Bruins fell short of their ultimate goal.

While the Stanley Cup has eluded Tuukka Rask in his two trips to the Final, his numbers prove that he is not at fault for the loss. Instead, they show that the Bruins can thank their goaltender for their success.