Bruins Report Cards: Tuukka Rask Solid, But B's Need Better Backup Plan
BOSTON (CBS) -- For a little less than a decade the Bruins have prided themselves on rock-solid goaltending.
At the outset of the 2014-15 season, they might have questioned that foundation of their organization and their system.
However, on a list of reasons the Bruins' season ended in mid-April without a trip to the Stanley Cup playoffs, goaltending was way down. Boston didn't win the Jennings Trophy (it finished eighth in goals against per game at 2.45), but most nights the opposition was limited to two or fewer goals and the Bruins had a chance to win had players at other positions provided the necessary support.
Here are the grades for the Bruins' goaltenders and a look ahead at what's ahead for Boston's masked men.
Tuukka Rask
Grade: A-minus
There won't be a Vezina Trophy added to Rask's resume after this season. He won't even be heading to Las Vegas as one of the finalists for the award, which he won last season. But Rask once again proved his value to the Bruins, even if that value charges the Bruins $7 million against their salary cap.
Rask had a slow start. He had an .899 save percentage in October and an .896 save percentage in December. Sandwiched between those months, though, was a .935 in November. After he posted a .949 January save percentage, Rask was right the rest of the season. Amazingly, he held up under an extremely heavy workload. He tied the franchise record, set more than 50 years ago, by playing in 70 games. Coach Claude Julien knew down the stretch how important every point was and he wasn't about to leave the goaltending up to anyone but Rask. Of course, the Bruins could've done a better job of getting Rask some rest earlier in the year before it became apparent they were going to be a dogfight for a playoff spot.
Rask finished the season with a 2.30 goals-against average and .922 save percentage (11th in the NHL). In his final 15 games, when the Bruins failed to hang on to a seven-point lead over Ottawa for the second wild card, Rask had a .925 save percentage and 2.26 GAA. Clearly, without Rask the Bruins wouldn't have even been as close to a playoff spot as they were.
Niklas Svedberg
Grade: B-minus
The 25-year-old Swede battled both flying pucks and moth balls all season to varying levels of success. Svedberg, two seasons removed from earning the Baz Bastien Award as the top goaltender in the American Hockey League, played five games and had a .940 save percentage in October. He slipped to an .873 in three games in November and seemingly lost the faith of Julien and the entire brass for the rest of the season. He played in only 10 more games and was so underused that he even spent a couple of weeks with Providence in the AHL on a conditioning assignment.
For the season, his numbers were respectable for a backup goaltender, as he had a .918 save percentage and 2.33 GAA. There's no telling if he would've fared better with more ice time. All we know is he failed to be a goaltender the Bruins could trust in key situations after long periods of inactivity. As a restricted free agent, Svedberg might be worth bringing back as part of a competition for the backup job in the fall.
Malcolm Subban
Grade: Incomplete
The Bruins' 2012 first-round draft pick had an NHL debut to forget Feb. 20 in St. Louis. Subban made three saves on three shots in the first period, but then made no saves on three shots in the second period before he was pulled. He never made it back to the NHL. With Providence of the AHL, he wasn't the primary goaltender down the stretch or at the outset of the playoffs.
Looking ahead
Rask is under contract through 2018-19. There's no reason to believe he won't continue to be one of the best goaltenders in the NHL. The Bruins will have to address their backup situation because making Rask play 70 games a season is no way to treat their pricey investment or to put the team in the best position to succeed. ... Svedberg and Subban would appear to be the main challengers for next season, although Subban has done little to instill confidence he's ready to take the next step. Subban and Svedberg could also be trade bait when the Bruins seek out scoring help this summer. ... Jeremy Smith played well in Providence. He's a restricted free agent this summer, but could be brought back and given a chance to compete. ... Whether Zane McIntyre, a 2015 Hobey Baker Award finalist for North Dakota, stays in school or turns pro, he's still at least a season or two away from being NHL-ready. ... The Bruins might have to bring in a veteran to compete with Svedberg or Subban. Regardless of who's in camp in the fall, the one thing we know is he'll be working cheap. Rask's salary precludes the Bruins from spending much on his backup.
Matt Kalman covers the Bruins for CBSBoston.com and also contributes to NHL.com and several other media outlets. Follow him on Twitter @TheBruinsBlog.