Kalman: Bruins Prevail With Rask Back In Role Of Old Faithful
BOSTON (CBS) -- Forward David Pastrnak is the flavor of the month around the Bruins.
The rookie, who was just drafted at 18 years old five months ago, made an impact in his second NHL game with seven shots on net and 10 shot attempts on Friday.
Defenseman Dougie Hamilton scored the overtime game-winner in the 2-1 victory against the Winnipeg Jets at TD Garden. Center Carl Soderberg continued to impress in his second NHL season with two assists, and Milan Lucic continued to find chemistry with Soderberg by scoring the crucial game-tying goal in the third period.
But everything mentioned above would've been a footnote were it not for the performance of one of the Bruins who isn't a recent arrival, an emerging star or a veteran trying to find his way.
Goaltender Tuukka Rask was again at his best with 35 saves on 36 shots in the victory. Rask had to match Winnipeg's up-and-coming rookie goaltender Michael Hutchinson save for save. Hutchinson, a Bruins 2008 third-round draft pick, finished with 36 saves, but he was unable to stop Lucic and Hamilton's shots to outduel the reigning Vezina Trophy winner.
Rask was beat by a Dustin Byfuglien wrist shot that went through at least four screens and deflected of Boston defenseman Matt Bartkowski's knee pad at 16:24 of the first period. From there, Rask was as perfect as he had to be considering the Bruins offense for the seventh time in eight games failed to score more than two goals.
Although it wasn't the most wide-open game ever played, there were chances, there were breakaways and there were plenty of saves at both ends that had the crowd groaning and roaring. Rask faced four Jets breakaways, including three by Evander Kane, and made saves on all of them.
It was the time of contest a $7 million goaltender should beat a rookie with 11 NHL games to his credit every time. Rask always stresses the point that he's not playing against the other goaltender, but the other shooters. However, in this game he seemed to be feeding off the can-you-top-this nature of the goaltender battle.
"Well you know it's one of those games, it's a one-goal game and you know every save matters at that point," Rask said. "We're down by one so my main focus is hoping we're going to get that goal, or if we don't I'm just going to try to shut the door and keep it tight, not matching the other goalie, just trying to make a save and keep it tight. And a lot of times it is, the other goalie makes a save and you know you have to make one because the opportunities are going to come. He played a great game today."
No one is excusing Rask for his slow start, which had him sporting a goals-against average in the high twos and a save percentage worse than .900. But he wasn't totally to blame for his poor numbers or the Bruins' record. Admittedly, the Bruins as a team were out of sync for most of the first six weeks of this season and that carried over to Rask. The Bruins are still trying to piece things together on their back end and up front. Injuries and subpar performances have caused a bit of identity crises for the Bruins all over the ice, except in the crease.
After beating the Jets, Rask is now 3-1-1 in his past five games with a .956 save percentage. The Bruins are getting what they paid for.
"Well, Tuukka was really good tonight. Obviously with the amount of shots they got and the traffic that they had in front of him and having to make those saves," coach Claude Julien said. "Even the Byfuglien shot [late in the third] ... from the point again, he got the glove on it. He was screened and he found that puck where in the first period it got through. So he's been good. But you know what? You need that goaltender to be that good when you're in the situatio0n that you're in. And he's expected to be that good, and he's responding well."
Rask is always victimized by high expectations. To some of Rask's critics anything worse than a 0.00 GAA based on his salary and pedigree is unsatisfactory. Rask might've even been victimized this time by facing a goaltender who idolizes Boston's star Finn. Hutchinson, who beat the Bruins in Winnipeg last April, had revenge on his mind and also a chance to steal the headlines for the headliner on the goaltending marquee.
"It was awesome," said Hutchinson, who was describing playing against Rask but could've been describing some of the saves both players made. "He's a goalie that ever since I was drafted I looked up to. So to be able to play against him is a real good experience and it really forced me to focus in and push myself because like I said he doesn't make too many mistakes and we got one on him. And it really made me bear down and know that it might be the only one we get tonight."
Like many goaltenders around the league, Hutchinson found out what it was like to try to get the best of Rask in a save battle. Especially when they're not playing their best as a team, the Bruins know they always have Rask to pull them through.
"Yeah Tuukka's one of the best goalies, if not the best goalie, in the league, so sometimes we rely on him too much," forward Reilly Smith said. "But he does a good job handling the pressure that's put on him."
Two goaltenders played as well as two goaltenders in the NHL can play Friday, and Rask again conquered the pressure and the opposition. There should be plenty more victories like that in the months ahead.
Matt Kalman covers the Bruins for CBSBoston.com and also contributes to NHL.com and several other media outlets. Follow him on Twitter @TheBruinsBlog.
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