It’s Tuukka Time
Can we all admit that Tuukka Rask is finally playing well after starting this season off poorly?
No? Oh, okay.
It’s obvious the Boston Bruins are playing really good hockey – a 14-point game streak, they beat their rival team, the Montreal Canadiens, twice this week and Rask has not lost a game in regulation since November.
NOVEMBER!
Why is it so hard to admit he’s playing well?
It drives me absolutely nuts that there are some hardos out there who will do anything, and I mean anything, to keep the Rask hate alive – from saying the goals he did give up during the wins were soft to even saying he could have played better.
Man, some of you Bruins fans are absolutely crazy.
I will gladly admit I panicked on Rask (and the team as a whole) early in the season. They couldn’t win two-consecutive games in regulation to save their lives and I was watching Rask give up soft goal after soft goal.
Obviously, it’s not all on him and any hockey fan should know that.
Yes, Rask has been in net for some big losses. Yes, he hasn’t shown up (literally) for big games when the team has needed him. Yes, the Bruins lost to the Blackhawks in the 2013 Stanley Cup Finals.
That’s the past – get out of it. For the love of everything holy get out of it and stop bringing up the past. He’s played poorly over the years, yes. But Rask has also played excepionally well. – especially the last 15 games.
Look at the present. Look at what he’s done in his last 15 games. Rask is 13-0-2. This record is the best record in the NHL for goaltenders through that stretch.
Don’t forget – he was pushed into the starting goalie role after Tim Thomas up and left. He’s done well over the years and has used his benching earlier this season and the belittlement from the Boston media as some serious motivation to shut everyone the hell up.
He has a .939 save percentage with a 1.65 goals-against average during this stretch and is helping this team pull within striking distance of the Tampa Bay Lightning for first place in the division.
Saying number 40 is overpaid and isn’t elite is a totally different topic than how he is playing currently and that shouldn’t even be brought up when people want to talk about how he is between the pipes now.
The team as a whole is playing impeccable hockey. Everyone is clicking on all cylinders and they are showing grit, fight, hustle and giving their fans something to cheer about – especially the goalie.
I know it has been a frustrating few years as a Bruins fan, trust me, I get it. But this team right now is something special and part of what makes it so special is the man between the pipes.
So to Bruins fans still thinking of ways to hate on Rask: just enjoy how he’s playing. Enjoy the saves, enjoy the goals the team is putting up in front of him and enjoy the fact that your Bruins goaltender is hot right now.
And please, PLEASE, don’t tell me the Bruins haven’t won a Stanley Cup with Rask in net because guess what? The New York Rangers haven’t won a cup with Henrik Lundqvist as their goalie.
Written by: Lauren Campbell (@lalalalaurrrren)