Player Discussion Tuukka Rask VI

[MetM]

2 U's
2 K's
2 points soon

Welcome back !

 

[Hali33]

Glad to hear he’s back, hope things are alright. Family matters most.

 

[Mpasta]

I don't have the energy to do it, but I'm sure it would be fascinating (and probably enlightening) to go back through some of those old Thomas vs. Rask threads and see how those "Rask guys" back then are treating him now. Are they still defending him? Or are they just guys who get enamored with the shiny new (Halak) toy? Would certainly be interesting. I was a Thomas supporter/defender back then, and a Rask defender now, I think mostly because both guys took/take far too much unwarranted heat. maybe that's why I'm a Krejci guy too.

It's almost as if people's opinions can change over many years.

 

[LouJersey]

Rask will start game 1 of the playoff or the Bruins won't be in them.

I don't want to be "that guy" and rain on Halak, but he's in the ultimate back up quarterback spot in the fans eyes right now. He's a good spot guy and backup but he's not going to carry this team anywhere IMO. I've seen too much of him to have any real confidence he can be "the guy". We will go as far as Rask will take us.

 

[The don godfather]

Welcome back tukka.

 

[VanIsle]

I don't want to be "that guy" and rain on Halak, but he's in the ultimate back up quarterback spot in the fans eyes right now. He's a good spot guy and backup but he's not going to carry this team anywhere IMO. I've seen too much of him to have any real confidence he can be "the guy". We will go as far as Rask will take us.

I hope both guys light it up and both play 41 game to stay ultimately fresh.

As I said in an earlier quote, October is over and Rask will start playing well again, and like clockwork will get his numbers better and better.

He had a couple days off, Halak went 2-0 and if it helps him in any way possible, we all win.

 

[Ladyfan]

Welcome back Tuukka

 

[Alberta_OReilly_Fan]

in his last 3 games he allowed 4 goals on 86 shots.

then of course whatever the issue popped up... he was asked to step into a game while his mind was elsewhere

I think it was pretty clear rask had already got his game straightened out. 4 wins in 6 games... only 2 goals support in those 2 loses. if the team gave him any support at all he was getting the job done

all that said... I think it might be best for him and the team to make a move. let him play a month of great hockey to build his trade value but I think it might be best to trade him before march

 

[bruins repeat time]

in his last 3 games he allowed 4 goals on 86 shots.

then of course whatever the issue popped up... he was asked to step into a game while his mind was elsewhere

I think it was pretty clear rask had already got his game straightened out. 4 wins in 6 games... only 2 goals support in those 2 loses. if the team gave him any support at all he was getting the job done

all that said... I think it might be best for him and the team to make a move. let him play a month of great hockey to build his trade value but I think it might be best to trade him before march

I often agree with you but I pretty well disagree with this post start to finish. I don't believe Rask was close to having things turned around. I love the guy and think he is very good but this yr he has had very few good games. I will even argue he wasn't really that sharp in the Ottawa game .

As far as the last paragraph goes why in the world would we move on from Rask when a/ we have no younger long term plan or B/ I love what Rask said today so why doesn't he fit in perfectly on this team .

I don't exactly know what the family issues were but I think that is why his play has been the worst I have seen in Boston from him personally . I am also not convinced he can put it all behind him now . We will just have to ride it out and see. I would expect Rask will get to a very high level in the next month or so but there are no guarantees.

 

[hrdpuk]

in his last 3 games he allowed 4 goals on 86 shots.

then of course whatever the issue popped up... he was asked to step into a game while his mind was elsewhere

I think it was pretty clear rask had already got his game straightened out. 4 wins in 6 games... only 2 goals support in those 2 loses. if the team gave him any support at all he was getting the job done

all that said... I think it might be best for him and the team to make a move. let him play a month of great hockey to build his trade value but I think it might be best to trade him before march

Why trade away one of the best goalies in the nhl. And who replaces him?

 

[Glove Malfunction]

I tend to criticize players that are making a lot if they are inconsistent and unreliable. But I don't stay on that bandwagon like its a political position. I remember criticizing Thomas for a couple GWGs against in key playoff games that looked soft when they were frustrating losses. At this point with Rask, he has his great stretches, but he has been way too inconsistent and his bad stretches can be bad. You also feel he is really just an average NHL goalie now (I agree). He is still being paid as an elite goalie for the next 2 seasons. His cap still impacts this team as if he is an elite goalie. That cap directly impacts us trading for or signing a top winger for the second line without giving up probably more than we'd like. We also have some really notable RFAs we need to afford. That is why I don't think any grief he gets is truly unwarranted. Krejci is in the same boat with performing.

My point is not that ALL of the grief he gets is unwarranted. It's that SOME of it is. Some posters here make him the goat of every single goal he gives up. SOME of the criticism is unwarranted. I'm making a distinction between valid criticism of his play, and that which seems to be criticism solely for the sake of shitting on him. And I think expectations based on his salary are fair. But those criticisms fall into those two aforementioned categories as well.

 

[Alberta_OReilly_Fan]

I often agree with you but I pretty well disagree with this post start to finish. I don't believe Rask was close to having things turned around. I love the guy and think he is very good but this yr he has had very few good games. I will even argue he wasn't really that sharp in the Ottawa game .

As far as the last paragraph goes why in the world would we move on from Rask when a/ we have no younger long term plan or B/ I love what Rask said today so why doesn't he fit in perfectly on this team .

I don't exactly know what the family issues were but I think that is why his play has been the worst I have seen in Boston from him personally . I am also not convinced he can put it all behind him now . We will just have to ride it out and see. I would expect Rask will get to a very high level in the next month or so but there are no guarantees.

even Gerry cheevers only stuck around for 10 years as our goto guy
andy moog lasted 6 years
tim Thomas 7

its hard to find a lot of guys that can spend more than 10 years with a team without going squirrely.

the fan base will turn on a goalie after a certain amount of shelf life... and very very very few goalies have the mental capacity to play their best when things start effecting their head. fans booing a goalie will effect most goalies

you can look at a list of who you think were the top 100 goalies of all time... go back to the original 6 days and trace it right up to modern times. see what happens to a goalies performance in a city after they were around the same team 6-7-8 years and more.

sure you would throw martin brodeau back in my face... but id probably counter with Patrick roy. you might find a couple other guys that were able to stay in 1 city more than 10 years without a sharp decline in their play. your list wont be a long one

lunqvist is in year 14... what was his performance like the past 3 years?
rinne is just reaching 10 years now his last 2 years are a nice bounce back but follow 4 years of substandard play

its just the nature of the beast with goalies.

guys like ed Belfour and curtish joseph and dominek hasek show us goalies can continue to be successful after 32-33 years of age but they need to bounce around in later years usually because that's what happens with goalies to keep their mental game focused.

I just sense that all this media attention on rask… the fans calling for a goalie controversy after 2-3 bad games... its a formula that says a change would be best for all parties concerned.

 

[missingchicklet]

rinne is just reaching 10 years now his last 2 years are a nice bounce back but follow 4 years of substandard play

A quick note: Rinne is 36 yrs old and started with the Preds when he was 23. He became starter in 2008-09. Disagree with 4 years of substandard play before his last 2 years. He was second in Vezina voting in 2015-16. Certainly wouldn't call that substandard play. He's had a few "off" years in his career, sometimes due to dealing with nagging injuries, but he has always bounced back.

In any case, welcome back Tuukka! Hopefully he can pull things together and get hot like he did last season.

 

[Bruinator]

Holy ****, this again?

Rask is this team's #1 goalie, like it or not. Just like he was last and the year before that and the years before that. You talk up Halak's stellar numbers from 7 or 8 years ago, how about you take a look at Rask's numbers over his career, you know since they've been in the league basically the same amount of time.


People need to wake up when it comes to Rask. Good grief.

Where did I say anything bad about Rask? The original poster sluffed off Halak as though he was a career backup on a hot streak much the same as Khudobin was last year and I merely made the point that his resume is much better than that. I only have to go back two Seasons when halak came back for the last 15 games of the year and almost single-handedly brought the New York Islanders back into the playoffs missing by only a point. I have no problem with Rask and always have been a big supporter but as long as he continues to play the way he is and Halak continues to play the way he is..... well, you can do the math like it or not. Why in the world would anyone take it as a personal attack against Rask that I am saying that halak is doing great? LOL we should be thankful he's bailing us out while Rask is struggling. Isn't that exactly what he was brought in to do? If and when Rask gets his act together and starts playing the way he can I have no doubt he can take back the number one job but thank God halak is doing what he is right now in the meantime.

 

[HumBucker]

What's not to like about that? I think he was 100% genuine and spoke from the heart, while also maintaining his privacy and his family's privacy, which is his right. Everyone needs to be able to deal with family issues and it may mean taking a few days from your job. I've done that. Good on Tuukka. Glad to have him back, focused and ready to play.

 

[nORRis8]

Love Halaks more apt to stand up style, always square to the puck unlike Tukukkas sliding around on his knees and flopping around which was hard to watch vs Toronto in last years playoffs as Andersson outplayed him. Vs Tampa he lacked making clutch saves.
Play Tuukka, get his confidence up, get some wins then trade him for a top 6 forward.

 

[BruinsFTW]

Glad Rask is back. It’s honestly nobodies business why he took time off. That could be why he has played under par. Hopefully he can come back and go on a tear like he usually does. I hope everything is well with his family. It’s none of our business what goes on with their personal lives. Wish him and his family the best. I’ve always backed and supported Rask. I have no doubt he can come back and be lights out off us. And knowing we have a guy like Halak ready and capable to step in when needed is a great thing.

 

[BruinsFTW]

Love Halaks more apt to stand up style, always square to the puck unlike Tukukkas sliding around on his knees and flopping around which was hard to watch vs Toronto in last years playoffs as Andersson outplayed him. Vs Tampa he lacked making clutch saves.
Play Tuukka, get his confidence up, get some wins then trade him for a top 6 forward.

Have you forgotten what’s goalies generally get in trades? Tuukka would never return a top 6 forward. Goalies just don’t have that kind of trade value. Also Halak isn’t backing us anywhere sorry. He isn’t a bonified starter. He’s a great backup. However he isn’t the guy backing you deep into the playoffs (sure I can be wrong here, but I just don’t see it)

 

[WhalerTurnedBruin55]

Have you forgotten what’s goalies generally get in trades? Tuukka would never return a top 6 forward. Goalies just don’t have that kind of trade value. Also Halak isn’t backing us anywhere sorry. He isn’t a bonified starter. He’s a great backup. However he isn’t the guy backing you deep into the playoffs (sure I can be wrong here, but I just don’t see it)

Can't that be said of any goalie that hasn't? Until he does.

As a Bruins fan, I feel like we've been pleasantly surprised by players that we DON'T have expectations on.

Tim Thomas, I'm sure no one saw him as a cup winning all-star in 2007.

Not remotely saying Halak will/can be that guy, but stranger things have happened, right here in Boston even.

As for Rask, I hope he's where he needs to be mentally/emotionally and he's done right by his family.

We know he can be a top goalie. But time will tell if he can finish the job.

 

[Seidenbergy]

Love Halaks more apt to stand up style, always square to the puck unlike Tukukkas sliding around on his knees and flopping around which was hard to watch vs Toronto in last years playoffs as Andersson outplayed him. Vs Tampa he lacked making clutch saves.
Play Tuukka, get his confidence up, get some wins then trade him for a top 6 forward.

Please explain the bolded.

Andersen gave up 5 goals in game one (Rask gave up 1).
Andersen gave up 3 goals on 5 freaking shots in game two and got pulled halfway through the 1st period.
Andersen gave up 3 goals again in game 4 (on only 21 shots) to Rask's 1 goal.
Andersen gave up 6 goals in game 7. 6 goals in a clinching game.

Rask never gave up more than 4 goals in that series......Andersen did it twice and it would've been three times if he wasn't pulled after playing only half of one period in game two.

Rask held Toronto well below their season average of 3.3 goals per game. Andersen couldn't do the same against the Bruins.

 

[DKH]

Love Halaks more apt to stand up style, always square to the puck unlike Tukukkas sliding around on his knees and flopping around which was hard to watch vs Toronto in last years playoffs as Andersson outplayed him. Vs Tampa he lacked making clutch saves.
Play Tuukka, get his confidence up, get some wins then trade him for a top 6 forward.

Huh !!!! Is this a spoof

 

[RedeyeRocketeer]

Rask will start game 1 of the playoff or the Bruins won't be in them.

You almost sound like you're giving a fact, like 2+2 = 4.

But there are numerous scenarios where Halak starts for the Bruins in the playoffs. And they are't far fetched. They aren't the most likely scenarios, but they exist.

 

[JRull86]

Love Halaks more apt to stand up style, always square to the puck unlike Tukukkas sliding around on his knees and flopping around which was hard to watch vs Toronto in last years playoffs as Andersson outplayed him. Vs Tampa he lacked making clutch saves.
Play Tuukka, get his confidence up, get some wins then trade him for a top 6 forward.

If you believe this, you are wrong and watching a different game.

Tuukka wasn't great against Toronto, but Andersen flat out sucked in the 4 games they lost. He didn't give them a chance to win any of them.

 

[LouJersey]

You almost sound like you're giving a fact, like 2+2 = 4.

But there are numerous scenarios where Halak starts for the Bruins in the playoffs. And they are't far fetched. They aren't the most likely scenarios, but they exist.

If the Bruins are starting Halak round one, they won't win. IMO of course, but unless there is some storybook ending to Halak's career I just don't see it.

 

[BigGoalBrad]

I don't want to be "that guy" and rain on Halak, but he's in the ultimate back up quarterback spot in the fans eyes right now. He's a good spot guy and backup but he's not going to carry this team anywhere IMO. I've seen too much of him to have any real confidence he can be "the guy". We will go as far as Rask will take us.

Its hard to see Rask on the bench all playoffs with his funny helmet tbh.

I think the Capitols analogy is spot on and if that is our situation or the dynamic between starter and backup its fine by me.

Halak is in the role he has excelled in previously as a 1B starter with another very good goalie on the roster. I think he puts up the stats to start round 1 game 1 of the playoffs. I know we are a long way out but I don't see him falling off. 1 bad game though in the postseason and Rask starts.