The Boston Bruins have accomplished major things this past season. With the Stanley Cup Final appearance, which was rather unexpected; big thanks went to the performances of Tuukka Rask. Rask wouldn’t have been halfway as good if it weren’t for his backup, Jaroslav Halak.
Jaroslav Halak turned out to be a massive presence for the Boston Bruins in the goal. Halak appeared in 40 contests with the Bruins in the regular season, posting the save percentage of 0.922%. That was his best since 2012, since his great season with the St. Louis Blues. The Slovakian netminder provided a relief for Tuukka Rask, who was able to maintain his freshness and stay composed to deliver big-time playoff goaltending.
For Jaroslav Halak, it was a very good season. Although the 34-year-old goaltender hasn’t lifted the Stanley Cup yet, he has been close to accomplishing it. In fact, it’s also his great work which propelled the Boston Bruins to 15 wins in the playoffs:
“When I came to Boston, they wanted me to provide relief for Rask. I think I was able to achieve it. Obviously, if I didn’t play well, I would not have earned so many starts,” stated Halak in his off-season interview in Slovakia (in Slovakian).
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“Even before the season started, I was told that I will regularly split the starts with Tuukka Rask. He started the playoffs and it was hard for me to even get a chance to replace him. But obviously, without Rask’s great performances, this team wouldn’t have gotten that far,” commented Jaroslav Halak.
Facing his former team in the St. Louis Blues, it was tough for Jaroslav Halak not to put his name on the Stanley Cup.
“All season we played well at home. Except in the Final. We won just one out of four home games. One game decided the fate, Game 7. We were close to winning it, but it was tough to lose after such a strong first period, which we dominated,” reflected Halak.
“Hockey can be so beautiful at one moment and then suddenly so cruel at the other. I was heartbroken after that loss, but life goes on,” remembers Halak as he saw his former team win the Stanley Cup.
Was it tough for Jaroslav Halak to just sit there and watch his team battle for the glorious Cup?
“Definitely. It was tough mentally for me, I was so nervous. I was way more nervous watching the guys battle on the ice from the bench,” said Halak, who even made one save while on the bench in the series versus Carolina.
Much like his countryman Peter Cehlarik states in another post-season interview, Jaroslav Halak witnessed first-hand, the heroics from Boston Bruins captain, Zdeno Chara.
“He really showed why everyone respects him so much. He deserves all the praise. Not even for a moment, he would have allowed himself not to play. That was never questioned. He wanted to demonstrate it to everybody. He wanted to show that he has still got it and that he is a true leader and the captain,” stated Jaroslav Halak about Zdeno Chara playing with the broken jaw.
“I have no idea what I would have done in his place. It was a really painful experience for him. I know what he had to go through. But at the end of the day, that’s his mentality. Many players wouldn’t play in his situation,” Halak told the media in Slovakia.
After the first season, what’s ahead for the Slovakian netminder in his second season?
“The core stayed together, although we had to experience a couple of tough departures. During the regular season, it’s about staying focused and battling through, regardless of the team’s injury list. The most important thing is to get to the playoffs. Once we are in, anything can happen. I believe many players on our roster are extremely good and that we have high chances at winning it,” said an encouraged Halak, who sees a bit of hope for him and his team ahead of the upcoming campaign.
“Boston is a great city. It´s a big sports city as well. People here like not only hockey but also baseball, football or basketball. They are happy when someone wins there. I hope we can make them proud of the Boston Bruins next year,” said Halak about the city of Boston and it’s sports.
“The preparations for the next season have already started for me. I haven’t played since the beginning of April, but I was practicing all the time, so I feel good. I will put in some heavy work to get ready for the next season,” said Halak, who added, that he doesn’t want to see his goalie gear until the end of August. Until then, he has to do some off-ice workouts.
Halak also received the award for the best Slovakian goaltender as of the past season. “Honestly, I was surprised, I didn’t expect that. I think someone else probably deserved to win it more,” said Halak in a very humble fashion.
Does Jaroslav Halak see a chance of dethroning Tuukka Rask of his number one position?
“Not at all. That’s the last thing I’m thinking about. For me, it’s all about being ready at any given time. We have a great relationship. Hopefully we can combine for the Stanley Cup,” ended Halak.
Hopefully, he can carry last season’s form through into the new campaign and provide that perfect backup option for the Boston Bruins. Sharing the load definitely resulted in a less tired Rask in the playoffs.