Boston Bruins: Tuukka Rask eliminating talk of goaltending controversy

A few months ago, the Boston Bruins plan at goaltender seemed quite clear.

Tuukka Rask was the starter; an experienced veteran who had already lead the team on several prior deep playoff runs. Jaroslav Halak was the backup, another veteran goaltender with significant experience as a starter, including during postseason play. And Dan Vladar was the hot prospect; the future of the team at arguably the most important position.

Jeremy Swayman was seemingly not a huge part of the plan. Despite having lots of talent, the 22 year-old had yet to make his NHL debut, and it seemed clear that the Bruins viewed his development as a long-term project.

But when injuries and COVID struck the Bruins’ goaltender room, Swayman got his chance, perhaps much earlier than he expected. And thus far, he’s made the most of it.

Boston Bruins have a hot, young goalie on the rise

In the ten regular season games that he started, Swayman was, statistically at least, the team’s best goaltender. His .945 save percentage was superior to Rasks’s .913. And his average of 1.50 goals allowed per game was far below Rasks’s 2.2. Not to mention that Swayman and Rask each posted two shutouts, despite the fact that Rask started more than twice as many regular season games as Swayman.

Despite the fact that Rask has lead the team to two Stanley Cup Finals, Swayman’s impressive play in his limited action in net had some wondering if there might be a goaltending controversy.

But while Swayman was able to supplant Halak for the backup job, Coach Bruce Cassidy elected to go with experience, giving Rask the nod for the postseason.

And thus far, that decision has paid off for the Bruins.

While Rask hasn’t lit the world on fire with a ton of flashy saves, he has done more than enough to put the Bruins in command of their first round series against the Washington Capitals. His .930 save percentage and 1.99 average goals allowed per game are both on par with his postseason numbers from two years ago, when he lead the Bruins to the Stanley Cup Final.

Now, there will always be the Rask haters out there. They will tell you that Rask is a choke artist, and that he will never be able to get you over the hump to win the Stanley Cup.

But the fact of the matter is, Tuukka Rask is the goaltender who gives the Boston Bruins the best chance to win the Stanley Cup in 2021.

Sure, Swayman has looked incredibly promising thus far, and if he continues to develop, then the franchise will be in good hands in net for years to come.

But the Bruins are a veteran team right now. With stars such as Patrice Bergeron, Brad Marchand, and David Krejci not getting any younger, Boston needs to make the most out of its Stanley Cup window while it is still there.

Next. Why Tuukka Rask is the best goalie in franchise history. dark

Does a team with an aging core really want to put its hopes in the hands of a 22 year-old with ten career NHL starts? My guess would be no.

As long as Rask continues to play even close to the level that he is currently playing at, any talk of a goaltending controversy should be nothing but hypothetical. For the forseeable future, Tuukka Rask remains the Bruins’ anchor in their quest for the franchise’s seventh Stanley Cup.

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Boston Bruins: Tuukka Rask eliminating talk of a goaltending controversy

By Adam Bradford | May 23, 2021

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