Boston Globe Bruin's Goalies

[Gee Wally]

With Tuukka Rask and Jaroslav Halak, do the Bruins have the goaltending to win the Stanley Cup? - The Boston Globe

Defensive schemes come and go in the NHL. Fighting in today’s game is somewhere between an afterthought and tattered film in a hockey museum. Dump and chase has gone the way of leather skates and wooden sticks.

Speed, speed, and a little more speed now make up the holy trinity of the NHL here in the late-teens of the millennium.

But one thing doesn’t change in the ever-evolving league: the need for quality, consistent, win-on-a-nightly-basis goaltending. Among the league’s haves and have-nots, teams with the net covered figure they have a shot at winning the Stanley Cup.

But as for teams that are goaltending have-nots . . .

“You’re screwed, you’re screwed,” mused Boston general manager Don Sweeney, who feels his Bruins are comfortably shouldered in among the “haves.” “You can’t outscore your troubles. Just can’t do it.”

The Bruins, with their somewhat surprising acquisition of veteran free agent Jaroslav Halak on July 1, have their most established goalie tandem since Sweeney took over as GM in 2015, and the most reliable since the day when resident No. 1 Tuukka Rask was parked on the bench while Tim Thomas spun his Cup magic (16-9, .940 save percentage, 1.98 goals against average) in the glorious spring of 2011.

The acquisition of Halak, who at 33 is two years older than Rask, delivers the Bruins to a new season with the Finnish stalwart for the first time supported — and perhaps pushed? — by a partner who at times has been a No. 1.

Click to read more...

 

[BMC]

I have a lot of confidence in Halak. I watched him play a lot when he was with the Islanders and I've always thought he was much better than his stats showed, he didn't have much defensive help on the Island. Now he does.

I think he'll definitely push Rask and that's good too, IMO Rask plays better when he's challenged.

 

[LouJersey]

I still go back to this and will post if anyone hasn't seen it..

Rask vs. Reward: Does the performance match the pay?

So, ready to answer to our $56 million-dollar question? Here goes: is Tuukka Rask elite? Absolutely not. To borrow a common refrain, does that mean he “sucks”? Absolutely not. At the time of the deal had he earned it? Absolutely. Is he, and has he been overpaid relative to his actual performance ever since? Absolutely. Contrary to common belief, all these statements can exist together without being in conflict.

just a quick run of the common numbers over the past four years...

Rask .917 2.36 ga 28.7 shotsperg

Halak .913 2.67 ga 30.8 shots perg

 

[AngryMilkcrates]

I remember when Jaro got his start playing back-up in Montreal. He stood on his head and stole games from us. It was maddening, he still has that ability to win games for a team that only top goaltenders have.

 

[BruinDust]

With Tuukka Rask and Jaroslav Halak, do the Bruins have the goaltending to win the Stanley Cup? - The Boston Globe

Defensive schemes come and go in the NHL. Fighting in today’s game is somewhere between an afterthought and tattered film in a hockey museum. Dump and chase has gone the way of leather skates and wooden sticks.

Speed, speed, and a little more speed now make up the holy trinity of the NHL here in the late-teens of the millennium.

But one thing doesn’t change in the ever-evolving league: the need for quality, consistent, win-on-a-nightly-basis goaltending. Among the league’s haves and have-nots, teams with the net covered figure they have a shot at winning the Stanley Cup.

But as for teams that are goaltending have-nots . . .

“You’re screwed, you’re screwed,” mused Boston general manager Don Sweeney, who feels his Bruins are comfortably shouldered in among the “haves.” “You can’t outscore your troubles. Just can’t do it.”

The Bruins, with their somewhat surprising acquisition of veteran free agent Jaroslav Halak on July 1, have their most established goalie tandem since Sweeney took over as GM in 2015, and the most reliable since the day when resident No. 1 Tuukka Rask was parked on the bench while Tim Thomas spun his Cup magic (16-9, .940 save percentage, 1.98 goals against average) in the glorious spring of 2011.

The acquisition of Halak, who at 33 is two years older than Rask, delivers the Bruins to a new season with the Finnish stalwart for the first time supported — and perhaps pushed? — by a partner who at times has been a No. 1.

Sweeney would know, having played a lot of time during the "Goaltending Carousel era" after Moog was traded (off-season of 1993) until really Tim Thomas and Tuukka Rask showed up in 2007-2008.

In the 13 seasons in-between, no less than 25 different goaltenders maned the net of the Boston Bruins (including Thomas).

We've been pretty fortunate as Bruins fans to essentially have stable and capable goaltending really for over a decade now.

 

[Alicat]

Halak was Sweeney's best off-season move.

He'll push Tuukka and also allow him to play a more balanced amount of games so he' fresh down the stretch and into the playoffs.

Halak is far and away much better than Dobby.

 

[Spanky185]

Halak was Sweeney's best off-season move.

He'll push Tuukka and also allow him to play a more balanced amount of games so he' fresh down the stretch and into the playoffs.

Halak is far and away much better than Dobby.

Certainly something Rask has been missing for a few seasons.

 

[BruinDust]

Halak was Sweeney's best off-season move.

He'll push Tuukka and also allow him to play a more balanced amount of games so he' fresh down the stretch and into the playoffs.

Halak is far and away much better than Dobby.

Certainly something Rask has been missing for a few seasons.

Rask only played 54 games last year.

Halak may be an upgrade (I think he is) but I don't see him spelling Rask to the point where Rask plays less than 50 games.

I think you still see Tuukka in that 50-55 range and Halak in the 25-30 range.

 

[Spanky185]

Rask only played 54 games last year.

Halak may be an upgrade (I think he is) but I don't see him spelling Rask to the point where Rask plays less than 50 games.

I think you still see Tuukka in that 50-55 range and Halak in the 25-30 range.

My memory isn't the greatest but wasn't that more because of Rasks earlyish season struggles than having a balanced playing schedule with Dobby?

But before last season the net was pretty much a shooting range abd rask was the only one capable of keeping the puck out consistently

 

[Alicat]

My memory isn't the greatest but wasn't that more because of Rasks earlyish season struggles than having a balanced playing schedule with Dobby?

But before last season the net was pretty much a shooting range abd rask was the only one capable of keeping the puck out consistently

Tuukka had a concussion and was out at least 5-6 games last season.

Dobby was great during that time but after that, he was decent.

You are spot on about the year before. Tuukka played way too many games.

 

[BruinDust]

My memory isn't the greatest but wasn't that more because of Rasks earlyish season struggles than having a balanced playing schedule with Dobby?

But before last season the net was pretty much a shooting range abd rask was the only one capable of keeping the puck out consistently

You had that 4 game stretch in mid-Nov. when Dobby briefly took the net.

Overall it was pretty well balanced.

Before that your right it was brutal how Julien especially ran Tuukka into the ground playing him too much and too often in 2015 and 2016.

 

[ON3M4N]

I still go back to this and will post if anyone hasn't seen it..

Rask vs. Reward: Does the performance match the pay?

So, ready to answer to our $56 million-dollar question? Here goes: is Tuukka Rask elite? Absolutely not. To borrow a common refrain, does that mean he “sucks”? Absolutely not. At the time of the deal had he earned it? Absolutely. Is he, and has he been overpaid relative to his actual performance ever since? Absolutely. Contrary to common belief, all these statements can exist together without being in conflict.

just a quick run of the common numbers over the past four years...

Rask .917 2.36 ga 28.7 shotsperg

Halak .913 2.67 ga 30.8 shots perg

Rask - 253 GP / 6,988 SA
Halak - 177 GP / 5,286 SA

^Rask has asked to be work horse over the last 4 years. Halak....no so much.

 

[LouJersey]

Rask - 253 GP / 6,988 SA
Halak - 177 GP / 5,286 SA

^Rask has asked to be work horse over the last 4 years. Halak....no so much.

Agreed. I think Rask will be and is much better. He's also not elite, but stable and you can win with him when he brings what he is capable of, even though 2013 is a long time ago, I have faith in him.

 

[ON3M4N]

Agreed. I think Rask will be and is much better. He's also not elite, but stable and you can win with him when he brings what he is capable of, even though 2013 is a long time ago, I have faith in him.

I know everyone as their own way of looking at things and advanced stats they use, but I'd say Rask is elite. Over the last 3 seasons here is where Rask ranks among NHL goalies

GP - 6th
SA -8th
SV% 20th
GAA - 11th
SO - 1st

Now the one thing that kind of sticks out is the SV%, but the difference between Rask at 20th and the 10th ranked is .003% (honestly next to nothing). I don't think I'd put him top 5, but he's certainly to 10 in the NHL.

 

[LouJersey]

I know everyone as their own way of looking at things and advanced stats they use, but I'd say Rask is elite. Over the last 3 seasons here is where Rask ranks among NHL goalies

GP - 6th
SA -8th
SV% 20th
GAA - 11th
SO - 1st

Now the one thing that kind of sticks out is the SV%, but the difference between Rask at 20th and the 10th ranked is .003% (honestly next to nothing). I don't think I'd put him top 5, but he's certainly to 10 in the NHL.

I think he's top 10 as well, but elite to me is top 2 or 3.

 

[ON3M4N]

I think he's top 10 as well, but elite to me is top 2 or 3.

I guess "elite" is just subjective then.