Tuukka Rask Holds Himself Accountable For 'Soft Goal' Vs. Hurricanes
By Matt Dolloff, CBS Boston
BOSTON (CBS) -- With one brilliant backhand by Carolina Hurricanes defenseman Noah Hanifin, the Boston Bruins let control of their playoff destiny slip completely out of their hands. Before Tuesday night, they could still make it to the Stanley Cup Playoffs by taking care of their own business; now they need outside help.
Within the team, one key player whom the Bruins need to deliver in the final two games is goaltender Tuukka Rask. While No. 40 can't shoulder all of the blame for the Bruins' struggles to keep the puck out of the net this season - and while he's a much better goalie than the "can't stop a beach ball" caricature drawn by Don Cherry - he also has not consistently made up for their glaring defensive shortcomings with timely saves, and, unfortunately for him, has a history of allowing soft goals in high-pressure situations.
Tuesday night's gotta-have-it game against Carolina was one of those spots, and Rask gave up one of those goals again. Rask himself described it as a "soft goal" and shouldered the blame for the puck sneaking by his left side.
"My mistake, there," said Rask on the first-period goal, which put the Hurricanes on top 1-0. "I was looking up high and now down low, and I couldn't make the save. ... [The puck] probably doesn't go in if I see it all the way."
Rask misread the play, a relatively simple one. Hurricanes defenseman Jacob Slavin gently tossed the puck toward the left post, where Rask got a piece of the puck but not enough to keep it out of the net. It was a simple play that, even if slightly misread, should still be a relatively easy stop. For a goalie whose game is largely predicated on anticipation of the play and being in the right position, it's concerning that Rask was simply looking in the wrong spot, and that one simple mistake made Slavin's throw-at-the-net-and-see-what-happens wrister squeak through his pads.
In fairness to Rask, he had some good moments in Tuesday night's game, like his double-save before the goal in the first period that you can certainly file under "covering for the defense."
He also can't take any blame for the Bruins' continued inability to bury scoring chances despite dominating puck possession (59 percent of all shot attempts) and zone control (67.5 percent of zone starts were in the offensive zone), defying advanced metrics with every passing night.
However, Rask should also be thanking Zdeno Chara for rescuing him from what would have been the real soft goal everyone is talking about and, potentially, the symbol for the Bruins' impending collapse out of the playoffs (if they can't turn things around), when the puck nearly trickled through Rask's pads near the end of regulation.
Rask is just one of many people from top-to-bottom in the Bruins organization who will deserve their share of the blame should the Bruins miss out on the playoffs for the second straight year. He can't be expected to make the hero save and bail the defense out every single time, but he also can't be expected to let limp wrist shots sneak by him without much of a screen and no deflections in front of him.
Among the things Rask himself can control, he ultimately did not deliver on his end against the Hurricanes. And if he didn't already have to elevate his game before Tuesday night, it is now an absolute must.
Matt Dolloff is a writer for CBSBostonSports.com. His opinions do not necessarily reflect that of CBS or 98.5 The Sports Hub. Have a news tip or comment for Matt? Follow him on Twitter @mattdolloff and email him at mdolloff@985thesportshub.com.
