Boston Globe Tuukka Rask’s status unclear after goalie fails to respond to treatment for upper-body injury

[WhalerTurnedBruin55]

I am not convinced Thomas had a better overall run than Rask, but Thomas in the finals has some ridiculous stats, 0.967 or something stupid. It was one of the best performances of a goalie in the finals ever.

Team sports are unfair to the individual sometimes, but 7 games can make or break a career.

Thomas stole just enough of the games to be remembered.

Statistically Rask's performance was on point as well. Just the W column sits at 14-15 instead of 16. Honestly boils down to, Rask making 1-2 saves that he shouldn't have, could have been the difference between the Bruins being a mini dynasty vs. Bruins being one and done in 2011. Obviously the other players are equally at fault for that as well. It's not 100% on Rask at all, just unfortunate it all turned out that way.

 

[McGarnagle]

In my opinion, he's going to look a lot like Lundquist. Great goalie of the generation, easily top 5 during his peak. Most likely having not lead to the team to a championship victory.

While that's not to blame him, on paper, people are gonna look at the winner of the final and most likely let the memory of the attempt pass by.

That's not to underappreciate his career. He just didn't win. Would it have been nice to have made a couple more saves in 2013 or 2019? Yea, that would change everything. But water under the bridge at this point.

I don't dislike Rask, more like a proud with a hidden sense of disappointment of circumstance. Maybe something miraculous will happen, but expectations are pretty tempered at this point.

As for Rask as a person, I'm glad he's been here, he shops at the same Whole Foods that I do. And probably the Bruins with the best musical taste bar none.

It's a strange generation, I think we'd all look at the decade of the 2010s and consider the top 3 goalies to be in some order Lundqvist, Price, and Rask. But no cups between them (as a starter). Compared to the previous generation of Brodeur/Roy/Hasek which had a lot of rings. Meanwhile the past decade has had less-than-elite goalies like Fleury, Murray, and Crawford pulling multiple rings. Jonathan Quick was legit though.

 

[missingchicklet]

Rask was the front runner for the Conn Smythe in 2019. He carried the Bs multiple times during those playoffs. The series vs the Blues should have never made it to game 7. There were multiple players who choked during those playoffs, a GM who choked before the playoffs began, and some pretty cruddy reffing to boot. Rask did more than his part to get the Bs a Cup that season. This core should have more than one Cup, but Rask is in no way responsible for them not having a Cup. Some of the stuff blamed on Rask is pure foolishness and without merit.

 

[WhalerTurnedBruin55]

Rask was the front runner for the Conn Smythe in 2019. He carried the Bs multiple times during those playoffs. The series vs the Blues should have never made it to game 7. There were multiple players who choked during those playoffs, a GM who choked before the playoffs began, and some pretty cruddy reffing to boot. Rask did more than his part to get the Bs a Cup that season. This core should have more than one Cup, but Rask is in no way responsible for them not having a Cup. Some of the stuff blamed on Rask is pure foolishness and without merit.

The team is fully to blame for their faults, I agree. Statistically, the run was better than Thomas's run.

This is NOT on Rask, but... 2019, pick a goal in any of the close Blues games. If any of those were a miraculous save instead of a goal... Duck boats. That's 99% not on Rask, but there's truth to his legacy being remembered differently had it gone down that way. It's more that I wish it had, but it was nice while it lasted at least.

Criticism for the rest of the team for those games can go into another thread, but all in all, that's water under the bridge for everyone involved.

 

[arider1990]

Rask was the front runner for the Conn Smythe in 2019. He carried the Bs multiple times during those playoffs. The series vs the Blues should have never made it to game 7. There were multiple players who choked during those playoffs, a GM who choked before the playoffs began, and some pretty cruddy reffing to boot. Rask did more than his part to get the Bs a Cup that season. This core should have more than one Cup, but Rask is in no way responsible for them not having a Cup. Some of the stuff blamed on Rask is pure foolishness and without merit.

The GM gave this team 2 players who had 4 goals in the finals while the first line had 5. He did his job.

 

[missingchicklet]

The GM gave this team 2 players who had 4 goals in the finals while the first line had 5. He did his job.

When the coach has to decide between Backes and Kuhlman as the 2RW in the Cup finals, I will disagree that the GM did his job.

 

[Seidenbergy]

I think it’s sort of kind of fair to remember him as a choker or at least unreliable in the post season.

Reg season career: 2.27 gaa and .921 save percentage

Playoffs: 2.20 and .926

Unreliable? He LITERALLY raised his game in the playoffs....even more impressive given the lack of bad opponents in the playoffs. There were no nights off.

People really need to stop perpetuating this myth that he's only a good regular season goalie. The facts aren't on your side.

 

[TD Charlie]

Unless he has a Tim Thomas cup run, he's going to be known here as the guy that never showed up when it mattered. Whether it's illness, injury, or private reasons, and whether I agree with that legacy or not doesn't matter. That's just how it's going to be.

But to say he isn't a playoff performer is perhaps the most outlandish claim of all.

 

[The National]

Reg season career: 2.27 gaa and .921 save percentage

Playoffs: 2.20 and .926

Unreliable? He LITERALLY raised his game in the playoffs....even more impressive given the lack of bad opponents in the playoffs. There were no nights off.

People really need to stop perpetuating this myth that he's only a good regular season goalie. The facts aren't on your side.

Maybe I should have said in elimination games, he’s excellent in the playoffs.

To be clear, I’m aware of how incredible of a goalie Rask is, and has been for the past 10 years, there’s very few I would take over him.

I’m saying there’s some evidence of him being unreliable in big games/elimination games, depending on how much fault you want to put on him for these instances:

2010 vs Flyers - let in 15 goals in the last 4 games as the Flyers came back from down 3 games.

2013 vs Blackhawks - let in 2 goals in less than 30 seconds to let Chicago back into Game 6.

2016 - Stomach bug forces him to miss last game of year to clinch a playoff spot.

2020 - Leaves the bubble for family issue.

2021 - Could potentially miss playoffs or not be 100% due to back injury.

 

[Saxon Eric]

Maybe I should have said in elimination games, he’s excellent in the playoffs.

To be clear, I’m aware of how incredible of a goalie Rask is, and has been for the past 10 years, there’s very few I would take over him.

I’m saying there’s some evidence of him being unreliable in big games/elimination games, depending on how much fault you want to put on him for these instances:

2010 vs Flyers - let in 15 goals in the last 4 games as the Flyers came back from down 3 games.

2013 vs Blackhawks - let in 2 goals in less than 30 seconds to let Chicago back into Game 6.

2016 - Stomach bug forces him to miss last game of year to clinch a playoff spot.

2020 - Leaves the bubble for family issue.

2021 - Could potentially miss playoffs or not be 100% due to back injury.

You forgot the Olympics

 

[jonu]

You forgot the Olympics

Not this shit again

 

[BBBruins]

Marchand Bergeron and Pasta had 1 even strength goal in 7 games against the Blues and where a combined something close to -20

and because of there failure in the cup finals

tuukka who had one of the best postseasons in nhl history is considered a epic choker and a bum

when In reality losing to the blues was almost all on the failure of the perfection line

This 100%.
The whole team in front of Rask played poorly and the goal scoring was a pain. It’s amazing how a player who kept his fantastic level throughout the playoffs, saving us in many games, gets a lot of criticism. Someone said that he hopes for game 7 that not many goals will sink behind Rask because people only remember numbers, not situations. Unfortunately, that is the case. The goals were not the cause of Rask. Our team scored 1 goal and still blamed the player who saved us many times and won us several series. These is a lots of players who deserve criticism before Rask. Maybe the whole team.
The goalie role sucks. You always get all the shit no matter how well you play it's forgotten fast.

 

[LouJersey]

Not this shit again

he didn’t miss the Olympics? And yes I think literally it was that **** again.

 

[jonu]

he didn’t miss the Olympics? And yes I think literally it was that **** again.

He missed one game in the olympics due to flu, and played lights out in the bronze game while still a bit under it.

 

[LouJersey]

He missed one game in the olympics due to flu, and played lights out in the bronze game while still a bit under it.

yes the semi final game was what he meant I think.

 

[AngryMilkcrates]

Rask is having back spasms? Well, he's done let's move on to debating his career post mortem.

lol at our fanbase

 

[rfournier103]

If Rask needs more time to recover - give it to him. It will give Vladar and Swayman more time for a look-see.

I hope Rask recovers soon.

 

[bbfan419]

Rask was the front runner for the Conn Smythe in 2019. He carried the Bs multiple times during those playoffs. The series vs the Blues should have never made it to game 7. There were multiple players who choked during those playoffs, a GM who choked before the playoffs began, and some pretty cruddy reffing to boot. Rask did more than his part to get the Bs a Cup that season. This core should have more than one Cup, but Rask is in no way responsible for them not having a Cup. Some of the stuff blamed on Rask is pure foolishness and without merit.

You are right Bruins should have won that series before game 7, you want to blame someone, how about the refs in game 5?

 

[BlackFrancis]

Maybe I should have said in elimination games, he’s excellent in the playoffs.

To be clear, I’m aware of how incredible of a goalie Rask is, and has been for the past 10 years, there’s very few I would take over him.

I’m saying there’s some evidence of him being unreliable in big games/elimination games, depending on how much fault you want to put on him for these instances:

2010 vs Flyers - let in 15 goals in the last 4 games as the Flyers came back from down 3 games.

2013 vs Blackhawks - let in 2 goals in less than 30 seconds to let Chicago back into Game 6.

2016 - Stomach bug forces him to miss last game of year to clinch a playoff spot.

2020 - Leaves the bubble for family issue.

2021 - Could potentially miss playoffs or not be 100% due to back injury.

Also missed the unplanned leave of absence in 2019 that may or may not have been related to silicone and anger.

 

[analyser]

This 100%.
The whole team in front of Rask played poorly and the goal scoring was a pain. It’s amazing how a player who kept his fantastic level throughout the playoffs, saving us in many games, gets a lot of criticism. Someone said that he hopes for game 7 that not many goals will sink behind Rask because people only remember numbers, not situations. Unfortunately, that is the case. The goals were not the cause of Rask. Our team scored 1 goal and still blamed the player who saved us many times and won us several series. These is a lots of players who deserve criticism before Rask. Maybe the whole team.
The goalie role sucks. You always get all the shit no matter how well you play it's forgotten fast.

Well in game 7 vs the Blues if Marchand had buried that chance he had early on the Bruins would of been up 1 to 0. He basically shot the puck right at Binnington. Could of changed the whole outcome, Blues go ahead and everything went down hill from there.

 

[BMC]

Well in game 7 vs the Blues if Marchand had buried that chance he had early on the Bruins would of been up 1 to 0. He basically shot the puck right at Binnington. Could of changed the whole outcome, Blues go ahead and everything went down hill from there.

Plus the now infamous line change he went for....

 

[member 96824]

Well in game 7 vs the Blues if Marchand had buried that chance he had early on the Bruins would of been up 1 to 0. He basically shot the puck right at Binnington. Could of changed the whole outcome, Blues go ahead and everything went down hill from there.

Had Brad Marchand not decided 8 seconds of rest took precedent over everything I don’t have a doubt in my mind it would have been tied up early in the 2nd.

So many great opportunities in the 1st, no chance those one of those weren’t going in. After Brad peeled off to rest those legs the blues just packed it in tight in the middle and blocked every pass and shot the rest of the game.

Brad’s lucky most Bruins fans have been conditioned to be soft and content with 1 cup every 40 years because that change should be talked about the same way the ball going through Buckner on the 1st base line was

 

[LouJersey]

Rask is having back spasms? Well, he's done let's move on to debating his career post mortem.

lol at our fanbase

Is it back spasms? Back spasms in itself generally responds to treatment.

 

[AngryMilkcrates]

Is it back spasms? Back spasms in itself generally responds to treatment.

Have no idea beyond what has been written. They say back spasms, so I am just repeating until we hear something more concrete.