Bruin4Life
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- Nov 6, 2006
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One of the ultimate issues in Beantown is Rask and what is to be expected from a #1 goalie. Rask is a #1 goalie and a good goalie at that but there is a divide on the Bruins board between Rask vs. Not Rask and this can be stemmed back to the TT days.
People can say that the team looks like they have play better infront of Dobby which is a similar remark to the Timmy days as well when Rask wasnt #1.
Now I know that Save % is not the tell tale all of a goalie. Its just a stat I pulled as a similarity chart. I didnt want to go and start creating charts and mapping out each advanced stat so bear with it.
Comparison Chart of Goalies with similar contracts
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[/TBODY]Ive included that table of elite goalies that were worth the contract and other contracts of goalies with similar salary cap % holding. People like to compare Rask to Hank, Price and Bob due to their high numbers. Price was 100% his last contract but im scared of that massive contract that kicks in next year. It could end up being a DiPietro trainwreck. Hank had his first contract which he lived up to and is putting up respectable numbers in that second monster contract. He is an elite goaltender that gets paid. Bob has been stellar in his contract but its just the start of that big contract so we cant really say whether its amazing or not. Rask has had more down years than up years in comparison to others and I would say a better comparison for him would be the Cam Ward circa 2009-2012.
Lets look at the years post contract signing for Rask
2012-2013:
June 1. Tim Thomas says hes sitting out this year for personal family reasons + strain on his body [Thomas had a clause that specified he could not be traded before July1 ,2012. I think Chia wanted Rask to be the future and trade Thomas while the value was high to let Tuukka take the reigns]
June 28 Tuukka signs a prove me contract for 3.5 mil
End of 2013 season Bruins make it to the Conference Finals where 2 goals in the final few minutes (literally final few) sees them end it at Game 6.
Tuukka Rask posts a .929 save% 2.00 GAA in season and a .940 % 1.88 GAA in playoffs
2013-2014 season YEAR ONE OF NEW CONTRACT
From last seasons fantastic run Chia throws a whomping 8 year @ 7 mil per with the Chiarelli special (NMC) . Dobby departs to try to earn his keep as a true #1
Another solid year for Rask as he has something to prove it seems to show its not a fluke run. Stagnant numbers which is great at this level.
We see Chad Johnson come in and post stellar but comparable numbers as a backup (0.925 save %)
Tuukka Rask posts a .930 save% 2.04 GAA in season and a .928 % 1.99 GAA in playoffs Miniscule Microscopic decrease in stats
2014-2015 season
Here we see Tuukkas workload increase as they try there hand at Svedberg for their backup. Although Svedbergs numbers were decent and comparable his issue was consistency as hed be phenomenal one game and then catastrophic the next. Svedberg would put up a save % of .918 and a GAA of 2.33.
Tuukka would come in and put up .920 save % and a 2.30 GAA. A decrease in performance since signing
The bruins needed 2 points in the last 3 games of the year to secure a spot in the playoffs. A no show by the team in all 3 with some iffy goals killed that team who was on a hot seat.
2015-2016 season
Bye Bye Chiapet. Adios Hamilton. We miss you Lucic. Two bad memorys of this year; the career of Joonas Kem-pain-anana the other being the last game of the year. We have Gustavson as a backup who posts 2.72 GAA and .908. Bruins can decide their own fate in the final game against Ottawa after beating the Detroit Red Wings 2 days prior. All they have to do is get one point. Lots of pressure and Rask literally shits his pants prior to the game and can't play forcing Gus to get wrecked. Bad luck for Rasks bowels to start to move.
Tuukka posts a 2.56 GAA and .915 save% for the season. A decrease from his last year.
2016-2017 season
Return of Dobby to Boston. Julien is in the hotseat now. Julien is 26-23-6. Everyone was saying that Dobby (1-5-1) was abysmal that year. No excuses as he is replaced by McIntyre who was put up worse numbers then Dobby. Julien gets fired and we see a resurgence in everyone including our backup Dobby who goes 6-1 in the last 3 months. One thing sticks out to everyone yet again though on March 25th against the Islanders. Rask played in the past 4 games prior to the Islanders and had some very rough goings losing all 4 games and letting in 15 goals in that span of 4. The Bruins playoffs hopes are again seeming to slip away from them as they were solidying their spot in the playoffs to now looking to be leap frogged by the Islanders who had 2 games in hand all the Islanders had to do was beat them on March 25th and the Islanders would be tied with Bruins at that points while still having 2 games in hand. Enter Rask. Sorry, exit Rask. Hours before this huge game Rask says he has an undisclosed injury to even Cassidys surprise that he even had one and said he expects Rask for practice on Monday. Dobby performs huge and Bruins break the funk and Rask is then cured of his mysterious ailment and continues on.
Tuukka posts a 2.33 GAA and a .915 save % slight increase from his previous year. 2.24 GAA and a .920 which are still great numbers but a decrease from his usual playoff spectacular performances. I dont blame anything on him in the playoffs though because I am still cheesed at how the refs were working over the Bruins to keep a Canadian team alive in the playoffs by disallowing good goals multiple times and handing over penalties left right and center.
2017-2018
RASK: 13 GP :2.91 GAA so far and a .899 %. 3 wins
Dobby 10GP : 2.22 GAA so far and a .932% 7 wins
Now I am not saying Dobby is the clear cut winner and a better goalie but he has played better this year than Rask has.
The Antics of Rask
Now I know people love to see a hot headed goalie and you may hear that Bruins fans are starting to say that he is emotionless or doesnt care. Since Rask has entered the league he has had his temper tantrums like the Milk Crate Incident. Watching every Bruins game since 2004-2005 I have seen all of Rask that I can. I love to see a goalie with passion and fire like Thomas or Hextal. Rask doesnt take it out on the other team but instead his own team. I can remember loads of times where after a goal was scored, and the defence was at fault, Rask can be seen glaring at the player in fault or waving his arms at the player (if someone could find the videos). Its been commented on by broadcasters during intermissions and has been talked about on the bruins board before but never spotlighted.
This year he made a comment about the team and later retracted it saying it was taken out of context. Its passive aggressive or mis-worded.
Rask Lovers can come in and point out that
What is the main boards thought on this? I look at the numbers and the eye test. Rask just seems out of it and I have been a Rask supporter up until his mysterious injury last year.
TL;DR Rask gets compared to Hank and Price but cant put up anywhere close the consistency. Rask is not and has not been elite for a long time. He is an above average goalie who gets paid to be elite.
People can say that the team looks like they have play better infront of Dobby which is a similar remark to the Timmy days as well when Rask wasnt #1.
Now I know that Save % is not the tell tale all of a goalie. Its just a stat I pulled as a similarity chart. I didnt want to go and start creating charts and mapping out each advanced stat so bear with it.
Comparison Chart of Goalies with similar contracts
| Name | Year Signed | Stats year before | Salary % in year of signing | #years with stat increase/similar signing date stats | #years with significant stat decrease | Verdict |
| Carey Price Age(29) | 2017 | 2.23 GAA .923 SV% | 14% | - | - | - No stats yet |
| King Henrik Age(25) | 2008 | 2.23 GAA .912 SV% | 13.67% | 6 years (.916, .921, .923, .930, .926, .920) | All years showed an improved stats from signing date. | |
| Giggy Age(30) | 2007 | 2.28 GAA .918 SV% | 13.64% | 1 Year (.922) | 3 years (.900, .900 ,.900) | Stanley Cup contract.Lost spot to Jonas Hiller and then traded to TML for Jason Blake and Toskala. Not worth it post contract. |
| King Henrik Age(31) | 2013 | 2.05 GAA .926 SV% | 13.22% | 1 year (.922) | 3 years (.920, .910, .918[this is this years numbers]) | Had one year with slight decrease but put it as similar, the .920 is still great but still can be seen as a dropoff from .926. I say its stagnant and you can expect numbers between .915-9.20 |
| Manny Fernandez Age(31) | 2006 | 2.29 GAA .919 | 11.11% | 2 years (.911, .910) | Decrease in stats which led to lost of job to Backstrom. Traded to Boston for Petr Kalus and a 4th round pick. Backup to Thomas before retirement. | |
| Cam Ward Age(25) | 2009 | 2.44 GGA .916 SV% | 11.09% | 2 years (.923, .916) | 4 years (.908, .898, .910, .909 | Slight increase in stats then steep decline.String of injuries which led to Khudobin playing well then failing to permanently steal his job. |
| Tuukka Rask Age(26) | 2013 | 2.00 GGA .929 SV% | 10.89% | 1 year (.930) | 4 year (.920, .915, .915, .899[this is this years numbers]) | 1 year which was stagnant before seeing a drop off to .920. Another dropoff to .915 before replicating .915. Bad start to this year but could turn it around. |
| Carey Price Age(24) | 2012 | 2.43 GAA .916 SV% | 10.83% | 4 years (.927, .933, .934, .923) | 2 years (.905, .890 [this is this years numbers]) | Worth it. Saw consistency with a major bump up in stats. This year is a down year but still unwritten. |
| Rick Dipietro Age(24) | 2006 | 3.02 GAA .900 SV% | 10.23% | 1 year (.919) | (.902) then ... wtf Mike Milbury | COME ON WHAT WERE YOU THINKING |
| Sergei Bobrosvsky Age(26) | 2015 | 2.69 GAA .918 SV% | 10.18% | 2 years (.931, .936 [this is this years numbers]) | 1 year (.908) | First year saw his numbers drop but had an excellent bounce back since with the resurgence of CBJ |
Lets look at the years post contract signing for Rask
2012-2013:
June 1. Tim Thomas says hes sitting out this year for personal family reasons + strain on his body [Thomas had a clause that specified he could not be traded before July1 ,2012. I think Chia wanted Rask to be the future and trade Thomas while the value was high to let Tuukka take the reigns]
June 28 Tuukka signs a prove me contract for 3.5 mil
End of 2013 season Bruins make it to the Conference Finals where 2 goals in the final few minutes (literally final few) sees them end it at Game 6.
Tuukka Rask posts a .929 save% 2.00 GAA in season and a .940 % 1.88 GAA in playoffs
2013-2014 season YEAR ONE OF NEW CONTRACT
From last seasons fantastic run Chia throws a whomping 8 year @ 7 mil per with the Chiarelli special (NMC) . Dobby departs to try to earn his keep as a true #1
Another solid year for Rask as he has something to prove it seems to show its not a fluke run. Stagnant numbers which is great at this level.
We see Chad Johnson come in and post stellar but comparable numbers as a backup (0.925 save %)
Tuukka Rask posts a .930 save% 2.04 GAA in season and a .928 % 1.99 GAA in playoffs Miniscule Microscopic decrease in stats
2014-2015 season
Here we see Tuukkas workload increase as they try there hand at Svedberg for their backup. Although Svedbergs numbers were decent and comparable his issue was consistency as hed be phenomenal one game and then catastrophic the next. Svedberg would put up a save % of .918 and a GAA of 2.33.
Tuukka would come in and put up .920 save % and a 2.30 GAA. A decrease in performance since signing
The bruins needed 2 points in the last 3 games of the year to secure a spot in the playoffs. A no show by the team in all 3 with some iffy goals killed that team who was on a hot seat.
2015-2016 season
Bye Bye Chiapet. Adios Hamilton. We miss you Lucic. Two bad memorys of this year; the career of Joonas Kem-pain-anana the other being the last game of the year. We have Gustavson as a backup who posts 2.72 GAA and .908. Bruins can decide their own fate in the final game against Ottawa after beating the Detroit Red Wings 2 days prior. All they have to do is get one point. Lots of pressure and Rask literally shits his pants prior to the game and can't play forcing Gus to get wrecked. Bad luck for Rasks bowels to start to move.
Tuukka posts a 2.56 GAA and .915 save% for the season. A decrease from his last year.
2016-2017 season
Return of Dobby to Boston. Julien is in the hotseat now. Julien is 26-23-6. Everyone was saying that Dobby (1-5-1) was abysmal that year. No excuses as he is replaced by McIntyre who was put up worse numbers then Dobby. Julien gets fired and we see a resurgence in everyone including our backup Dobby who goes 6-1 in the last 3 months. One thing sticks out to everyone yet again though on March 25th against the Islanders. Rask played in the past 4 games prior to the Islanders and had some very rough goings losing all 4 games and letting in 15 goals in that span of 4. The Bruins playoffs hopes are again seeming to slip away from them as they were solidying their spot in the playoffs to now looking to be leap frogged by the Islanders who had 2 games in hand all the Islanders had to do was beat them on March 25th and the Islanders would be tied with Bruins at that points while still having 2 games in hand. Enter Rask. Sorry, exit Rask. Hours before this huge game Rask says he has an undisclosed injury to even Cassidys surprise that he even had one and said he expects Rask for practice on Monday. Dobby performs huge and Bruins break the funk and Rask is then cured of his mysterious ailment and continues on.
Tuukka posts a 2.33 GAA and a .915 save % slight increase from his previous year. 2.24 GAA and a .920 which are still great numbers but a decrease from his usual playoff spectacular performances. I dont blame anything on him in the playoffs though because I am still cheesed at how the refs were working over the Bruins to keep a Canadian team alive in the playoffs by disallowing good goals multiple times and handing over penalties left right and center.
2017-2018
RASK: 13 GP :2.91 GAA so far and a .899 %. 3 wins
Dobby 10GP : 2.22 GAA so far and a .932% 7 wins
Now I am not saying Dobby is the clear cut winner and a better goalie but he has played better this year than Rask has.
The Antics of Rask
Now I know people love to see a hot headed goalie and you may hear that Bruins fans are starting to say that he is emotionless or doesnt care. Since Rask has entered the league he has had his temper tantrums like the Milk Crate Incident. Watching every Bruins game since 2004-2005 I have seen all of Rask that I can. I love to see a goalie with passion and fire like Thomas or Hextal. Rask doesnt take it out on the other team but instead his own team. I can remember loads of times where after a goal was scored, and the defence was at fault, Rask can be seen glaring at the player in fault or waving his arms at the player (if someone could find the videos). Its been commented on by broadcasters during intermissions and has been talked about on the bruins board before but never spotlighted.
This year he made a comment about the team and later retracted it saying it was taken out of context. Its passive aggressive or mis-worded.
“I just try to go out there and give us a chance to win every night. That’s what I’m focused on. I’m not going to comment anymore on team play that much. We can just talk about goaltending. That’s just the way it is. Sorry.”
Rask Lovers can come in and point out that
- Our team sucks infront of him only (Is it by chance/luck , is it that Dobby is more of a scrambled mess so players feel pressured to scramble as well, is it that Rask dug a hole with his mates)
- Look at Price and Hank have off years (well they also had good years which Rask cant seem to match consistently)
- Who else do the Bruins have that could replace him ? No one? So lets keep saying Rask is our elite #1 and hope he can bounce back
- The shots that others take on Rask are impossible to stop whereas Dobby gets the easier ones.
What is the main boards thought on this? I look at the numbers and the eye test. Rask just seems out of it and I have been a Rask supporter up until his mysterious injury last year.
TL;DR Rask gets compared to Hank and Price but cant put up anywhere close the consistency. Rask is not and has not been elite for a long time. He is an above average goalie who gets paid to be elite.
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