Assuming Rask is Healthy to Start...

[LouJersey]

Did he rule himself out or did the team rule him out? He's been dealing with a lower body injury for a few months now. Maybe the team figured giving him 3-4 days off would help him out. If Dobby was going to start against the Islanders from the start, why not sit Rask for the game and call up Zane so Rask doesn't even have to dress.

Last year he was violently ill. From the few reports that came out, it sounds like he spent most of his time in the bathroom. Not sure how it would help us having a goalie that at any moment could puke or **** his brains out.

Why was he so ill? Bad Chinese take out?

 

[ReggieMoto]

I think we can all agree with the statement that as soon as either goalie -- whoever starts -- lets in a stinker the place will riot. The thing to keep in mind is, regardless of who is in net a stinker is probably going to happen. So, knowing this why don't we NOT riot and instead discuss rationally what happened and what should be done about it. The "I told you so's" will be insufferable.

Regardless of who starts in net, he should be on a short leash. If a couple of goals get scored quickly, pull him and put the other one in. At this point -- and I said this earlier -- it almost doesn't matter who's in net; they're both struggling and neither one has my full confidence. It's a roll of the dice who is going to perform better. If the goal is to win the game and not test the goalie then make sure that a goalie off his game doesn't stay in the game.

 

[caz16]

Isn't every game going forward the most important now? Or are most of you criticizing Rask for missing this specific game against the Isles just going to pretend that now the pressure is off to support your claims?

 

[ON3M4N]

Agree with most of this as well but I will say I am alarmed that he has missed a couple huge games here and one for finland with very short term situations

Ya I mean I think it has to be a bit of a red flag, but maybe not to the extent that some are making it out to be. Management knows the whole story and being that they haven't moved on from him after those two no shows, I have to think its just unfortunate timing. If they miss the playoffs again this year, it'll be interesting to see what they do in the off-season.

 

[Hali33]

I'm happy to be talked off the ledge with Rask if you can throw out some names of goalies that have had these sudden short term issues knock them out of huge games 3 times now. Hell I'll settle for 2 times.

I won't even count the 2 migraines where he somehow got dehydrated after a period of hockey.

 

[ReggieMoto]

Isn't every game going forward the most important now? Or are most of you criticizing Rask for missing this specific game against the Isles just going to pretend that now the pressure is off to support your claims?

For me every game is do-or-die. They all have to be won unless we make the playoffs with a game to spare. The concern for me regarding Rask isn't so much that he missed a game against a given opponent but that at this late stage of the season where every game counts -- like last season -- he was unable to rise to the challenge. Purely coincidence? I admit I struggle with that.

 

[ReggieMoto]

Management knows the whole story and being that they haven't moved on from him after those two no shows, I have to think its just unfortunate timing.

He would be a difficult player to move with his cap hit and his NMC. Not impossible but difficult.

 

[bergeronsboys]

Rask: 59 GP 2.38 GAA .910 Sv% 6 SO 33 Wins

Khudobin: 14 GP 2.60 GAA .899 Sv% 0 SO 6 Wins

No one is happy with the way Rask has been playing lately but he's still the #1 and if the team plays the way they have in front of Khudobin then they make the playoffs. Rask was the only goalie providing wins up until December 1st, and then again until February 11th. I know he has been sucking but if he is healthy he should start imo.

 

[JOKER 192]

Tomorrow night I want to see Tuukka play like he did the last game against Philly. Engaged , confident and making the stops, head held high, body language asking is that all you got?

I also want to see the D play like they did on Saturday against the Islanders. Why doesn't Tuukka get that kind of D?

I'd also like to see our high paid millionaires kick something in too.

Put those 3 things together for the rest of the season and we got something.

 

[LouJersey]

Isn't every game going forward the most important now? Or are most of you criticizing Rask for missing this specific game against the Isles just going to pretend that now the pressure is off to support your claims?

This Nashville game is nowhere near as huge as the islander game was. They were tied in the standings, Bruins ninth seed, isles had a game in hand.

The Bruins won, meaning even if the Isles won their game in hand they would still be behind because of the tie breaker. Had the Bruins lost, would have been 2 pts back, one more game played. Not to mention it was on the road and broke a four game skid

 

[ON3M4N]

Rask: 59 GP 2.38 GAA .910 Sv% 6 SO 33 Wins

Khudobin: 14 GP 2.60 GAA .899 Sv% 0 SO 6 Wins

No one is happy with the way Rask has been playing lately but he's still the #1 and if the team plays the way they have in front of Khudobin then they make the playoffs. Rask was the only goalie providing wins up until December 1st, and then again until February 11th. I know he has been sucking but if he is healthy he should start imo.

Its funny, but I hadn't really looked at his full body of work on the year. With out average to below average he's been for the second half, those aren't terrible numbers for the year.

I used a 40 game minimum as a benchmark and he is how Rask ranked among the 28 other goalies....

Wins - 6th
GAA - 8th
SV% - 23rd
SO - 5th

I mean the only glaring question mark is the SV% and I think everyone can agree that Boston has been giving up better quality shots as of late. Not saying that's the only reason his SV% is ranked so low, but it could be part of the reason.

 

[Otherworld]

Khudobin. He battled for the win and he deserves it IMO.

 

[WhalerTurnedBruin55]

Handing Rask the start both punishes Khudobin for his solid contribution his last few games, and rewards Tuukka for his subpar play. We should give Khudobin the start to send a message. Winning is important. You win, you play. Makes both goalies put the extra effort out there to win. Throwing Rask back in there reinforces a country club atmosphere where jobs are secure despite recent play.

And no, I'm not blaming Rask for losing the games he played. But results are the thing that matter. Khudobin's win could literally be a one off, but goaltending is a strange position. Ride the hotter player until they aren't hot (which says a lot of Khudobin is the hotter player). The rest won't hurt Tuukka at this stage. Khudobin fails, Rask is back to save the day, right?

 

[kdog82]

Handing Rask the start both punishes Khudobin for his solid contribution his last few games, and rewards Tuukka for his subpar play. We should give Khudobin the start to send a message. Winning is important. You win, you play. Makes both goalies put the extra effort out there to win. Throwing Rask back in there reinforces a country club atmosphere where jobs are secure despite recent play.

And no, I'm not blaming Rask for losing the games he played. But results are the thing that matter. Khudobin's win could literally be a one off, but goaltending is a strange position. Ride the hotter player until they aren't hot (which says a lot of Khudobin is the hotter player). The rest won't hurt Tuukka at this stage. Khudobin fails, Rask is back to save the day, right?

Rask plays every game from here on out except b2b.

 

[bruins repeat time]

The main thing this tuukka thread has taught me is why a lot of people on these boards actually think we are dressing a superstar like morrow in a suit. Like I guess I could see it if we had like a really good back up but the support one way and the lack of it the other way is amazing . I also cant believe how many of you really believe he will put a.k in the net . I will be totally stunned but if I do see him I wont expect to see rask back here next yr which considering we don't really currently have another option is also amazing,

 

[Bruinswillwin77]

Rask plays every game from here on out except b2b.

Only 1 more back to back which is good.

 

[bruins repeat time]

The same a.k had four wins in a row and Cassidy felt he had to push tuukka to play all three games in four nights.

 

[BMC]

Based on the quote 98.5 played of Cassidy, it sure sounds like the coach and teammates have questions about him.

Hmmm...will have to check that out!

 

[Absurdity]

Tomorrow night I want to see Tuukka play like he did the last game against Philly. Engaged , confident and making the stops, head held high, body language asking is that all you got?

I also want to see the D play like they did on Saturday against the Islanders. Why doesn't Tuukka get that kind of D?

I'd also like to see our high paid millionaires kick something in too.

Put those 3 things together for the rest of the season and we got something.

It's because Rask is Rask and Dobby is a backup goaltender. They feel the need to play exceptional defense to stay in the game with Dobby in net while they feel like Rask is good enough that he can bail them out. In my opinion, we've been seeing this lack of consistency for quite a while. Why can't we get that kind of D every night?

 

[BMC]

But you don't find it odd that he was not able to go in easily the season's most important game but declared himself ready to play the very next morning? So he went from being so hurt as to not be able to gut it out in a must-win game to ready to go next game in a matter of hours? And this after bailing from last year's must-win vs. Ottawa for illness and bailing on a game in the Olympics?

Sure seems fishy to me.

Yes, this doesn't pass the smell test with me either.

 

[BMC]

It probably wouldn't be the worst strategy for keeping guys out of the crease...

At this point the Bruins should try anything that might work....

 

[WhalerTurnedBruin55]

Rask plays every game from here on out except b2b.

Thanks, coach. thumbs up.

 

[caz16]

Watch Tuukka come back like a brick wall, the players score a goal a game, Bruins miss playoffs.... still Tuukka's fault because he upset his teammates.

 

[Bruinfanatic]

Watch Tuukka come back like a brick wall, the players score a goal a game, Bruins miss playoffs.... still Tuukka's fault because he upset his teammates.

Nope

 

[WhalerTurnedBruin55]

Watch Tuukka come back like a brick wall, the players score a goal a game, Bruins miss playoffs.... still Tuukka's fault because he upset his teammates.

It goes both ways though. The Bruins put up four goals and can lose, too, if the goaltending is awful. Sub .900 SV% and we are in trouble. So goaltending needs to be the best it can be.

Both sides need to be better. Period. Whoever is in net needs to do their job. One is just paid 6x more than the other to do it. So if he's there, he better do it.

The players need to get their act together too, but this thread is about the goaltending, so...