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Boston Bruins 2021 Player Grades: Jaroslav Halak tired out

By Matt Hawkins

May 4, 2021; Newark, New Jersey, USA; Boston Bruins goaltender Jaroslav Halak (41) makes the save against during the second period against the New Jersey Devils at Prudential Center. Mandatory Credit: Vincent Carchietta-USA TODAY Sports
May 4, 2021; Newark, New Jersey, USA; Boston Bruins goaltender Jaroslav Halak (41) makes the save against during the second period against the New Jersey Devils at Prudential Center. Mandatory Credit: Vincent Carchietta-USA TODAY Sports /
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Moving on with our Boston Bruins 2021 Player Grades series, we now analyze the third and most likely final season as backup goaltender Jaroslav Halak with the B’s.

Jaroslav Halak started off this shortened season red-hot. However, it would turn out to be his worst season with Boston. Over his first three starts of the season, Halak wouldn’t allow more than two goals in a game and hold a save percentage (SV%) of .938.

But, Halak would struggle to find consistency the rest of the season as he would either be hit or miss. Over the next 16 games, Halak would start 14 of them. In those 16 games, Halak gave up at least three goals in nine of them and have a SV% above .900 in just six of them. Overall, Halak was either at his best or at his worst, there just wasn’t an in between.

The condensed schedule was too much for Jaroslav Halak.

Although he hasn’t been a true backup goalie since joining the B’s (him and Tuukka Rask have been more of a platoon as a 1A and 1B rather than a straight No. 1 and No.2), this season’s condensed schedule appeared to be too much for the aging netminder.

With Rask dealing with some nagging injuries this season, Halak was called upon much more often than the previous two seasons. I don’t necessarily mean he played more, because he didn’t. He played less games. But with the condensed schedule, games were closed together and Halak ended up playing more often as his games were closer together.

This type of schedule proved too much for the 36-year-old and to make matters worse, he would catch COVID late in the season and miss two weeks. His one start after coming back was atrocious and his appearance in relief was also bad. As a result, Halak lost this backup job to red-hot rookie Jeremy Swayman for the playoffs.

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Overall, Halak showed that his age caught up to him and he just can’t play as often and as much as he used to. He wasn’t terrible this season, but he also wasn’t necessarily good. He finished the season with 19 games played (17 starts) and a .905 SV%, 2.53 goals-against average (GAA), .529 quality start percentage (QS%), -1.6 goals saved above average (GSAA), and two shutouts.

Grade: C+

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