Boston Bruins: Tuukka Rask finally provides answers

Mar 10, 2020; Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA; Boston Bruins goaltender Tuukka Rask (40) celebrates win against the Philadelphia Flyers with defenseman Jeremy Lauzon (79) at Wells Fargo Center. Mandatory Credit: Eric Hartline-USA TODAY Sports
Mar 10, 2020; Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA; Boston Bruins goaltender Tuukka Rask (40) celebrates win against the Philadelphia Flyers with defenseman Jeremy Lauzon (79) at Wells Fargo Center. Mandatory Credit: Eric Hartline-USA TODAY Sports /
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We have all heard rumors about why Tuukka Rask left the bubble but the Boston Bruins goaltender finally spoke on his future in Boston.

Ever since Tuukka Rask left the NHL Bubble up in Canada he received criticism. Critics said he abandoned his team and that the Boston Bruins should trade him. Well, they look really stupid now that Rask spoke on the events.

At the end of the day, Rask didn’t need to say anything. He didn’t owe anybody an explanation. The fact that Rask came out and wanted to state that he wants to spend the rest of his career in  Boston shows how lucky Bruins fans are to have him.

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Rask spoke to Steve Conroy of the Boston Herald and there are definitley some quotes that stick out.

"“I got a phone call from my wife and my daughter was in a state that she needed medical attention and she wasn’t doing well. At that point, I had no choice but to go home. It’s as simple as that. If you get a phone call wherever you are, like I did, it’s a pretty easy decision. What bothered me a little bit was people thinking that I just left because I didn’t like it there. I’m not going to lie to to you, [the bubble] was awful. But if I didn’t have a reason to leave, I wouldn’t have left, obviously. There’s that. It had nothing to do with hockey or the bubble. It was just the fact that I had to make that decision and I stand by it.”"

There is now no doubting why Rask left the bubble. He confirmed that he had to leave due to a medical emergency involving his daughter.

It baffles me that people are still bashing Rask. This seems like a decision that any rational parent would make. Family is more important than hockey, it’s as simple as that.

Also, it seems that at the end of the day Rask doesn’t really care what the fans think. He knows that he made the right decision and stands by it.

Still, Rask admitted that the bubble wasn’t exactly a great place. Multiple NHL players have confirmed how awful it was.

It’s hard to think that another bubble will work next season. Players won’t want to spend an entire season isolated. The NHL must be hoping that they are able to figure out a way to have a relatively normal season. That’s something that the NFL and MLB have yet to figure out.

Tuukka Rask and his Boston Bruins future

Finally, there are Rask’s comments about his future. Tuukka doesn’t want to go anywhere.

"“I’ve been here for a long time and the organization’s been so great for me,” Rask said of the Bruins. “We’ve built our home in Boston and we call this home. So, yeah, I don’t want to play for anybody else.”"

It now seems like it’s impossible that Boston trades Rask. Besides the optics, Rask’s value continues to decrease.

If Rask is traded there is a good chance that he just retires. There is no reason for any team to try and acquire him.

It looks like Tuukka Rask will be a Bruin next season and that’s a good thing. Tuukka is still one of the best goalies in the NHL. He almost won the Vezina this past season.

Without Rask, the Boston Bruins aren’t contenders. The goaltending situation is quite precarious without Tuukka. They don’t have another goalie that is capable of taking them deep into the playoffs.

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So now that Rask has spoken we can put last season behind us. Now we can look forward to a much better season in 2021.