Tuukka Rask Has His 'Monkey Off The Back' Moment In Montreal
BOSTON (CBS) -- Suddenly, the Winter Classic doesn't seem all that ominous. The Boston Bruins finally notched a win against the arch rival Montreal Canadiens after nearly two calendar years without one, and they did it on the road at the Bell Centre.
The entire team played much better than it has in the recent past against the Habs and showed resiliency in their 3-1 come-from-behind win. But most importantly, Tuukka Rask had a strong night in goal and finally took a step toward shedding the "can't beat Montreal" label.
The Bruins didn't have nearly the amount of defensive breakdowns or allow as many odd-man rushes as they have in previous games with Montreal, and as a result Rask didn't feel like he was under siege. It didn't feel like every shot on him had to be a hero save with the team playing a little better (and harder) in front of him. Remarkable, isn't it?
The Bruins back end still gives up a ton of shots, but Rask's job was much more manageable than in the past - and when it came time to make tough saves, this time Tuukka bailed the Bruins out. Rask in past games at Montreal wouldn't stop Daniel Carr down low, pad-save Max Pacioretty on a 2-on-1, stone Alex Galchenyuk on a close power play chance, or stuff Tomas Plekanec right on the doorstep. If Rask truly lacked the confidence to step up against the Canadiens, he should have it now.
Tell me Rask makes this save in 2014:
The most encouraging thing emerging from the Bruins' win is that the Winter Classic now feels like a doable game. Because the Bruins reminded Boston that they are still capable of finishing a game with more goals than the Canadiens, the hype for the game can build more than it had when many fans may have been resigned to another Canadiens blowout on the Gillette Stadium field.
Rask finally had his "monkey off the back" moment against Montreal, and hopefully he saved some big saves for New Year's Day.
Matt Dolloff is a writer for CBSBostonSports.com. His opinions do not necessarily reflect that of CBS or 98.5 The Sports Hub. Read more from Matt here. Follow him on Twitter @mattdolloff and email him at mdolloff@985thesportshub.com.
