Boston Bruins: Dan Vladar proved he deserves backup spot next season

Tuesday was a night to remember for Dan Vladar. With some great goaltending, he led the Boston Bruins to a great win over the Penguins. It seems like Vladar is ready for an increased role.

After the Bruins struggled in recent games, Vladar went between the pipes. Tuukka Rask is still dealing with an injury and Jaroslav Halak needed a rest now that he is filling in for Rask.

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After Vladar’s first appearance for Boston in the playoffs, fans expectations weren’t exactly high. He allowed three goals on 15 shots. For his first game, it was a rough outing.

It’s safe to say that Vladar’s first regular season start went much better. Vladar secured the first win of his career and ended up stopping 34 shots.

Vladar did everything right. He had good positioning and made some amazing saves. His paddle save stopped a surefire goal.

As you could expect, Vladar was ecstatic after the game. He even said he was going to sleep with the puck from the game.

But Vladar playing in the NHL should be much more frequent. Next season he could even be the backup goaltender.

Why Dan Vladar should be the Boston Bruins backup goaltender next season.

The Bruins have some decisions to make in the offseason. Both of their goalies need new deals and Boston has expressed that they want to bring back both goalies. They are even willing to work on a deal during the regular season.

Now it won’t surprise fans, but the Bruins need to keep Tuukka Rask. He is one of the best goaltenders in the NHL. He deserves to spend his entire career in Boston and will likely get his number retired.

But do the Bruins need to bring back Halak? That seems unnecessary.

Halak will be 36 years old next season. While he has done well for the majority of his time with Boston, he has become unreliable and inconsistent in recent seasons.

Vladar has proven that he is capable of being a backup goaltender next season. Ideally, he will get some more looks in 2021, but even if he doesn’t he should be the backup over Halak.

Boston needs to see what they have in these young goaltenders. Jeremy Swayman still needs to develop in the AHL, but Vladar’s time is now. He needs to prove that he can be Boston’s future between the pipes.

Vladar was great on Tuesday and his attitude will surely make him a fan favorite. The Boston Bruins need to give him a chance and let him be the backup goalie next season.