Player Discussion Tuukka Rask - VII

[ON3M4N]

think fans will appreciate rask if he retires after next season?

Highly unlikely. Some of the best number all-time and holds numerous Bruins records, but pink hats...I mean many will say:

BuT hE HaSnT wOn A cUp As A sTaRtEr

Imo Rask is the greatest Bruins goalie of all time. Don't care if anyone disagrees and it's not even debatable for me.

 

[Alicat]

I support him in whatever he decides to do.

 

[NDiesel]

Doesn't surprise me, dude always seems like he's half interested.

Imagine thinking a guy with some of the best numbers all-time is basically half-trying.

 

[NDiesel]

Highly unlikely. Some of the best number all-time and holds numerous Bruins records, but pink hats...I mean many will say:

BuT hE HaSnT wOn A cUp As A sTaRtEr

Imo Rask is the greatest Bruins goalie of all time. Don't care if anyone disagrees and it's not even debatable for me.

Rask is the GOAT Bruins goalie, sad the amount of shit he gets during his career and really I'd retire early too if I were him reading what some fans think about him during his career here.

He'll get recognition from the vocal crowd of detractors if our next starting goalie isn't good - grass is always greener, like when people thought we had a better chance with Martin Jones or that Halak should be our starter - yet here we are in a familiar spot, another season where Rask is one of the best in the league and another season where Jones is barely a starter and Halak can't stay consistent.

 

[Dennis Bonvie]

don`t think so and that`s a shame.
This fan however will

You really don't think Bruins fans will appreciate Rask?

Question is, who do you consider fans? And what is meant by appreciate?

 

[JoeIsAStud]

You really don't think Bruins fans will appreciate Rask?

Question is, who do you consider fans? And what is meant by appreciate?

There is a subset of the fan base who don't like him. Heck we got a cheap shot directed at him, the post after someone posted an article suggesting he might retie

 

[missingchicklet]

I would really hate for Tuukka to retire without a Cup as starting goalie just as much as I would hate for the current core of skaters to not get another Cup. His stats speak for themselves, but beyond that he has put the Bs in the position to be successful multiple times, only to be let down, most notably last season's SCF. If only he could score goals.

Goalies are a different breed. So are Finns. I can totally see him calling it quits after his contract runs out, and never look back. These guys make enough money that, if they manage it well, they can be set to live comfortably even if they retire early and delve into making side money from other sources. As a fan I want him to keep playing, but I think it's great that he's in a position financially to retire and focus more on his family. Who knows, maybe if he doesn't win a Cup before his contract runs out he will come back for a year or two to give the core a chance or two more at a Cup, then retire.

 

[Krupp]

It's interesting to think about - i'm sure he wants to win a cup with what time is left on his contract - but he may not actually CARE about HAVING a cup on his resume in the way that so many other NHL players DO care. Maybe i'm wrong about that. But it's interesting.

Just hope that Boston can navigate this problem in a year or so, or one of the younger kids are ready to go. Then again we've been hoping for that with regards to the forwards pipeline too, haven't we, and so far the results have been mixed.

 

[smithformeragent]

Considering the carousel of goalies and coaches they had during the 90s-mid 2000s that I grew up watching, fans have been fortunate to have experienced the longevity of Thomas to Rask.

 

[Kalus]

There is a subset of the fan base who don't like him. Heck we got a cheap shot directed at him, the post after someone posted an article suggesting he might retie

Personally, I wouldn't even call them a subset. Maybe fringe or something. It's the people taking cues from one of the talking points of local radio.

Any of my friends or coworkers who played the game or have been the type of fan to watch at least half the games every year appreciate him.

 

[GoBs]

TSN loving this

 

[ON3M4N]

TSN loving this
View attachment 338885

If he did retire, I wonder if Toronto would have a ceremony for him...you know since he has the most wins by any goalie drafted by the Leafs

 

[Kalus]

TSN loving this
View attachment 338885

99% sure it was just an off the cuff remark during a really strange (and maybe scary) time.

 

[Aussie Bruin]

At the very least Rask will see out his current contract, and realistically that's almost certainly all the window this Bruins group has left to win another Cup. So either he helps the Bs to raise Stanley again by summer '21 and everyone gets what they want, after which it's immaterial what he does, or they still come up short and in that case then if he re-signs that's great, but if not then it won't be the worst time to move on to the next goaltending chapter of the team just as they'll have to in a number of other areas.

So while it'll definitely be a sad day when Rask does hang up the skates - he's had a phenomenal run so far - I don't think it'll make much difference to the team's fortunes and prospects as to when exactly he chooses to do so.

 

[KrejciMVP]

the cup window is closing and maybe he will hang em up when it officially closes. Could have 2 cups with any luck

 

[Krupp]

It's funny, but i'm a newer fan so Rask is the only goalie i've known outside of Thomas. Thomas's run in 2011 was legendary, but Tukka has been consistently reliable every year - with some bad games here and there of course (but what goalie doesn't have those?)

Much as I loved watching Thomas play, Rask has grown on me these past several years. I like the guy and I always will. I can only hope his successor is every bit as reliable as Tukka has been for all of this time; there are teams in this league who still struggle to get good goaltending on the regular, and it can set a team back, big time - at least, that's my opinion anyway

 

[whatsbruin]

Doesn't surprise me, dude always seems like he's half interested.

I doubt you can be top 5 in just about every goalie category for several years, and be half interested.
Sure he has his down days, but no more than other goalies, and a lot less than most.

 

[whatsbruin]

I don't think he retires.
Right now, he is stuck in his house with all his kids.
He is going bat shit crazy, and he'll reconsider playing for many more years.

 

[ON3M4N]

It's funny, but i'm a newer fan so Rask is the only goalie i've known outside of Thomas. Thomas's run in 2011 was legendary, but Tukka has been consistently reliable every year - with some bad games here and there of course (but what goalie doesn't have those?)

Much as I loved watching Thomas play, Rask has grown on me these past several years. I like the guy and I always will. I can only hope his successor is every bit as reliable as Tukka has been for all of this time; there are teams in this league who still struggle to get good goaltending on the regular, and it can set a team back, big time - at least, that's my opinion anyway

Interestingly enough, Rask run in 2013 was equally as legendary but all his detractors want to focus on are two goals that he was left out to dry on.

Thomas 2011 - 1.98 GAA / .940 SV% / 4 SO
Rask 2013 - 1.88 GAA / .940 SV% / 3 SO

We've been lucky to have some great goaltending for 15 years and I hopeful Swayman/Keyser/Vladar and keep it going.

 

[shoulders7]

Interestingly enough, Rask run in 2013 was equally as legendary but all his detractors want to focus on are two goals that he was left out to dry on.

Thomas 2011 - 1.98 GAA / .940 SV% / 4 SO
Rask 2013 - 1.88 GAA / .940 SV% / 3 SO

We've been lucky to have some great goaltending for 15 years and I hopeful Swayman/Keyser/Vladar and keep it going.

Well, the bruins won the Stanley cup in 2011 so that is why it is remembered as legendary. Rask is 0-2 in the cup finals, and while he was equal to Thomas for the most part both times, he didn’t win. People won’t remember either run as legendary because the bruins lost both times. Unfair, but besides the old Red Sox fans waxing poetic about 1967, not a lot of fondness for teams that didn’t win.

 

[Smitty93]

Interestingly enough, Rask run in 2013 was equally as legendary but all his detractors want to focus on are two goals that he was left out to dry on.

Thomas 2011 - 1.98 GAA / .940 SV% / 4 SO
Rask 2013 - 1.88 GAA / .940 SV% / 3 SO

We've been lucky to have some great goaltending for 15 years and I hopeful Swayman/Keyser/Vladar and keep it going.

It's my belief that the greatest playoff series by a goalie, at least that I've seen, is Rask against PIT in 2013. 4 GP, 4 W, 2 SO, .985 SV%, and 0.436 GAA. He basically won that series on his own.

 

[ON3M4N]

Well, the bruins won the Stanley cup in 2011 so that is why it is remembered as legendary. Rask is 0-2 in the cup finals, and while he was equal to Thomas for the most part both times, he didn’t win. People won’t remember either run as legendary because the bruins lost both times. Unfair, but besides the old Red Sox fans waxing poetic about 1967, not a lot of fondness for teams that didn’t win.

Which is sad to be honest.

Also the Bruins are 0-2 in the last two SCF and they didn't win. Oddly enough the only person that gets flak for it is Rask...

 

[yazmybaby]

Interestingly enough, Rask run in 2013 was equally as legendary but all his detractors want to focus on are two goals that he was left out to dry on.

Thomas 2011 - 1.98 GAA / .940 SV% / 4 SO
Rask 2013 - 1.88 GAA / .940 SV% / 3 SO

We've been lucky to have some great goaltending for 15 years and I hopeful Swayman/Keyser/Vladar and keep it going.

100% agree with you.
He was the main reason why we made it to the Cup finals for those 2 years.
Its like having a pitcher lose a game 7 due to fielding errors.

 

[Krupp]

Meant to respond but the joint here was shut down...

But yeah, Rask has been phenomenal as well, I never meant to imply otherwise really. But I think it goes beyond just Rask NOT winning a cup in two tries; obviously he wasn't to blame for what happened in game 7 even this past season (it started with Marchand's laziness in the first period). But when I think of Thomas, I think of that Philly series, where in one game, I forget which one, he faced what, 54 SHOTS ON HIM and managed to turn back how many? I'm not saying Tukka couldn't do that, but.....he just hasn't yet. Nor can I forget the absurd, phenomenal game 7 against Tampa that year, a game so defensive that it had to go to overtime to get a winner. Those were just incredible moments. "SAVE BY THOMAS!" Still rings out in my ears whenever I think of 2011. And it helped Thomas that he had teammates who were able to put the puck on the net, and IN the net.

In 2013, Rask had to rely on the likes of Daugavins missing f***ing opening nets in the Finals, for example. Rask has been great. It sucks he hasn't gotten to raise the cup, but life ain't fair, eh? Even Iginla, great as he was, didn't get to hoist up the cup in his career.

 

[ON3M4N]

Meant to respond but the joint here was shut down...

But yeah, Rask has been phenomenal as well, I never meant to imply otherwise really. But I think it goes beyond just Rask NOT winning a cup in two tries; obviously he wasn't to blame for what happened in game 7 even this past season (it started with Marchand's laziness in the first period). But when I think of Thomas, I think of that Philly series, where in one game, I forget which one, he faced what, 54 SHOTS ON HIM and managed to turn back how many? I'm not saying Tukka couldn't do that, but.....he just hasn't yet. Nor can I forget the absurd, phenomenal game 7 against Tampa that year, a game so defensive that it had to go to overtime to get a winner. Those were just incredible moments. "SAVE BY THOMAS!" Still rings out in my ears whenever I think of 2011. And it helped Thomas that he had teammates who were able to put the puck on the net, and IN the net.

In 2013, Rask had to rely on the likes of Daugavins missing f***ing opening nets in the Finals, for example. Rask has been great. It sucks he hasn't gotten to raise the cup, but life ain't fair, eh? Even Iginla, great as he was, didn't get to hoist up the cup in his career.

All during the 2013 Run
63 SOG vs CHI / 59 Saves
54 SOG vs PIT / 53 Saves
48 SOG vs TOR / 45 Saves
47 SOG vs TOR / 45 Saves