Boston Bruins: Tuukka Rask needs to think before he speaks

After a tough loss in Game Two, Boston Bruins goaltender Tuukka Rask made some comments that are sure to upset fans.

Thursday night wasn’t the best night for Boston Bruins fans. The same could be said about Tuukka Rask.

Rask didn’t have the best game and you would hope that he could have made a save on Dougie Hamilton’s rocket from the point to give Carolina the lead. He wasn’t terrible but Rask needs to play better.

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But arguably what he did after the game was much worse than his performance on the ice. It was honestly stunning to witness.

In his postgame interview, Rask spoke about the atmosphere and what the playoff games have been like in the bubble. I honestly can’t believe he said this.

"“To be honest with you, it doesn’t really feel like playoff hockey because there’s no fans,” Rask actually said into a working microphone and on camera after a playoff loss. “It’s kind of like you’re playing an exhibition game.”“You’re trying to play as hard as you can,” Rask added. “Obviously, you’re playing a best of seven series so there’s going to be some battles going on and what not. But when you play at your home rink, you play at an away rink, and there’s fans cheering for you or against you and that creates another buzz around the series. There’s none of that, so it just feels dull at times. .. it just feels like an exhibition game.”"

Goalies are just a different breed. Their mindset allows them to perform well in their position.

Now is Rask lying? No. It is different and you have to appreciate his honesty. The fact that he decided to say it after a closely contested game where the Bruins should have won makes it questionable. The optics aren’t that great.

How on Earth do you say that after losing a playoff game? That is just absolutely bizarre. Does Rask have zero awareness skills?

You either love or hate Rask. He is one of the most polarizing figures in all of Boston sports. He didn’t do himself any favors. Now Rask fans need to defend the goaltender even more.

The Bruins need to figure things out fast. It’s still rather unlikely but they could end up getting knocked out in the first round. If that is the case, Bruins fans will be even angrier.

Rask isn’t the only one struggling. Boston overall has just played too sloppy. They made mistakes in their own zone and this led to goals. The Bruins need to play a much cleaner game.

But Rask isn’t off the hook. He desperately needs a Stanley Cup to cement himself in Bruins history. If not that will always be held over him.

At this point, I think Jaroslav Halak should get a start. Rask clearly needs some time to get his head screwed on straight. This isn’t the mentality of a Stanley Cup winner.

So Rask needs to figure things out because he is nearing the end of his career. He has hinted at retirement before. One would assume that he would want a Stanley Cup before his playing days are over.

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Tuukka, please think before you speak next time. I love you but you are making it really hard to defend yourself.

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