Boston Bruins: 3 takeaways from terrific 4-1 win over Islanders

2. Tuukka Rask returns for the Boston Bruins

With Tuukka Rask and Jaroslav Halak both being forced to miss time, the Bruins were forced to play youngsters Dan Vladar and Jeremy Swayman.  To their credit, Swayman and Vladar both played well, but it was nice to see Rask return to the ice.

More from Boston Bruins

• Boston Bruins fans better be ready for a bridge year
• Boston Bruins Rumors: Why letting Tyler Bertuzzi walk is a big mistake
• Boston Bruins Rumors: Milan Lucic back returns to the Black & Gold express
• Boston Bruins Draft class 2023: Grades & thoughts on draft selections
• Boston Bruins win 3 big awards at NHL Awards Gala: Thoughts & reactions

It seemed as though Rask hadn’t missed a game. He was making great saves and only allowed one goal on the night. Rask racked up over 20 saves on the night.

With the victory, Rask was finally able to tally the 300th win if his career.

Moving forward, Rask will be a key part of the Bruins potential Stanley Cup run. When he is on top of his game, he is one of the best goalies in the NHL.

The key for Rask will be staying healthy. If he misses any more time, he will likely be a bit rusty headed into the playoffs.

Also if Swayman continues to play as well as he has, the Bruins would have to seriously consider going with the rookie. Goalies can get hot out of nowhere and when they do they can win you a championship.

So while Thursday was a good start for Rask, he needs to start building momentum and even more importantly staying healthy as Boston prepares for a playoff run.