News Article: FLUTO: Bruins’ Tuukka Rask not playing like a No. 1 goalie

[Fenway]

I know we have an existing Tuukka thread but in Friday's Globe Fluto unloads on Rask

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Bruins’ Tuukka Rask not playing like a No. 1 goalie

Kevan Miller’s turnover gave the Lightning speed on the counterattack. Jonathan Drouin entered the zone with momentum. Drouin let a slapper go.

But Drouin let it fly from the left circle. Tuukka Rask had a clear look at Drouin’s release. To that end, Rask should have caught the puck, as any top-end goalie would be expected to do. Instead, Drouin’s slap shot slipped under Rask’s left arm for the deciding goal in the Bruins’ 6-3 dud against the Lightning.

“He just . . . I don’t know,” Rask said. “Bad goal.”

The Bruins have lost four in a row. It is their longest streak of zeros. The one that started the slide, a 7-4 loss to Edmonton, was their third game in four nights in Western Canada. With better puck luck, the Bruins could have had results against Toronto or Ottawa.

But they got what they deserved on Thursday at TD Garden. They turned pucks over. They forechecked aggressively when they should have been more conservative. They did not bury shots that their opponents drained.

“That [Drouin] goal, I should keep it tight there,” Rask said. “It doesn’t help when you let in that. It was bad.”

Mistakes happen. The best goalies act as erasers, scrubbing out skaters’ errors and correcting them with glove saves and kickouts. When his teammates needed assistance, the kind he has provided in the past, Rask poured gasoline on the flames instead of dousing them with a hose.

“You have to,” Rask (23 saves on 28 shots) said of his ability to negate other players’ mistakes. “A lot of times, that’s the case. A goalie has to make a couple extra stops. Today, I didn’t. That’s part of my job to accept the fact that sometimes it’s your fault. A couple times, I should have made a save.”

But with every game, the picture becomes a less-pixelated representation of what the Bruins are. A 19-game snapshot under Cassidy shows a top-heavy attack, unpredictable performance from the second and third lines, and a defense that breaks when it should bend.

These are shortcomings that led to Julien’s dismissal. They are also blemishes that a Vezina Trophy candidate can mask. Rask is not in that category.

He was exceptional early in the season. Rask has regressed to ordinary. During five-on-five play, Rask has a .916 save percentage, which puts him in the same neighborhood as Calvin Pickard and Petr Mrazek.

In 2013-14, when Rask won the Vezina, his five-on-five save percentage was a league-best .924. Rask’s pedigree dictates placement among the likes of Carey Price and Braden Holtby, both standing tall this year at .938 in five-on-five situations. Rask is residing in Allston when his pay and past history say he should be dwelling in the Back Bay.

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[Coach Parker]

Julien is gone. His system that forced the forwards to help Chara and company also benefitted the goalie.

Now, reality hits hard when the forwards don't outscore the defensive woes. When Marchand and Pastrnak aren't providing the scoring for the Bruins, they lose.

 

[Caper Bruins fan]

Julien is gone. His system that forced the forwards to help Chara and company also benefitted the goalie.

Now, reality hits hard when the forwards don't outscore the defensive woes. When Marchand and Pastrnak aren't providing the scoring for the Bruins, they lose.

A big save from the goalie every now and then would help also .

 

[Coach Parker]

A big save from the goalie every now and then would help also .

I'm reminded of the Toronto GWG to that. He made that huge save and then they scored. Carlo had a chance to clear but we should all expect him to be playing poorly as a kid in his rookie year, not a $7,000,000 All-Star goalie.

I wrote earlier after the Sens game that the Bruins franchise needed Rask to steal these two games. He didn't.

 

[Fenway]

I have the nagging feeling that Tuukka doesn't really care. He already has his lifetime money.

 

[Bruinswillwin77]

I have the nagging feeling that Tuukka doesn't really care. He already has his lifetime money.

What a dbag if thats the case.

 

[SPLBRUIN]

He's barely an average NHL goalie these days, his drop from his Vezina year has been shocking.

 

[caz16]

He made huge saves early in the game. I just think he is burned out mentally and physically.

I would play Dobby the rest of the season. They aren't going anywhere so let's see what happens.

 

[smithformeragent]

"The best goalies act like erasers."

Rask has erased plenty of this team's mistakes this season.
He's stolen games that they have had no business winning.

He essentially kept them afloat the first quarter of the season.
I looked at his games played and he's fourth with 59.

Not a huge number, but ideally you'd like to see a bit more of a split.
They've leaned heavily on him.
Too heavily.

 

[chizzler]

I have the nagging feeling that Tuukka doesn't really care. He already has his lifetime money.

That's the problem I have with these long term. Contracts. He's not the only one. I would only give out four year deals.

 

[smithformeragent]

That's the problem I have with these long term. Contracts. He's not the only one. I would only give out four year deals.

Unfortunately, it's not that simple.

If you're only willing to give short to mid term deals, you don't get the player.

Look at the Eriksson situation. It wasn't so much about the money as it was the term.
I also don't buy the fact that Rask has checked out or doesn't care.
What is this based on?

 

[Pia8988]

Unfortunately, it's not that simple.

If you're only willing to give short to mid term deals, you don't get the player.

Look at the Eriksson situation. It wasn't so much about the money as it was the term.
I also don't buy the fact that Rask has checked out or doesn't care.
What is this based on?

I think he needs to chuck another milk crate onto the ice. Maybe fail at breaking a stick again.

 

[LouJersey]

He competed early on, but then got down on himself it seemed. Cassidy's system puts more pressure on the goalie and Rask obviously can't handle it.

 

[VanIsle]

Estimated earnings $35.598 million.

Who cares.

 

[Number8]

If Tuukka is breaking down after 59 games then that's not acceptable for a guy making that kind of money. His last four seasons he's played 58/70/64/59 games.

For grades I give:

Tuukka start of season: A
Tuukka second part of season: C

As far as backups go, even with Dobby's recent improvement, we still have got a whopping 12 points out of 15 games started by our backups. That projects out to a season total 67 points if our backups started every game! Number One lottery territory.

That is unacceptable. I like what Sweeney is doing overall, but his inability to put in place a backup that could rest Tuukka (he shouldn't be that fragile, but.......) and generate at least a respectable number of points from our backups is a massive massive fail.

On that front Sweeney gets an F.

 

[chizzler]

If Tuukka is breaking down after 59 games then that's not acceptable for a guy making that kind of money. His last four seasons he's played 58/70/64/59 games.

For grades I give:

Tuukka start of season: A
Tuukka second part of season: C

As far as backups go, even with Dobby's recent improvement, we still have got a whopping 12 points out of 15 games started by our backups. That projects out to a season total 67 points if our backups started every game! Number One lottery territory.

That is unacceptable. I like what Sweeney is doing overall, but his inability to put in place a backup that could rest Tuukka (he shouldn't be that fragile, but.......) and generate at least a respectable number of points from our backups is a massive massive fail.

On that front Sweeney gets an F.

Problem is that other teams have back up problems just like the Bruins. They are hard to find.

 

[ReggieMoto]

From the Fluto article in the Globe:
These are shortcomings that led to Julien’s dismissal. They are also blemishes that a Vezina Trophy candidate can mask. Rask is not in that category.

This is a hard reality many here are going to have to come to terms with. Yes, he won a Vezina but he is not that goalie anymore. Time to figure out the next move for goaltending and go in that direction. It may take time but it has to be done to avoid another collapse next season.

 

[Daishi]

I have the nagging feeling that Tuukka doesn't really care. He already has his lifetime money.

Nagging feeling because he doesn't smash sticks on the ice as often as you'd like, or desperately dive and flop around the ice when he's caught out of position?

Have you met him? Do you know the man? What do you base your nagging feeling on?

I've met him, and he's a fierce competitor. I'm not aware of a single fact that would imply he doesn't care about his career or his team's success. His personality on the ice is close to that of Carey Price. They're technical goalies who stick to their own system no matter what. Fans who don't know any better think they don't care when they're scored on, when what they're actually doing is immediately trying to move past the goal on to the next save. Being emotional doesn't help them at all. If you're pissed off about a bad goal during the game you'll either overplay every situation afterwards, or you'll play scared on every situation, when what you should actually be doing is what you were doing all along regardless of any goals that were scored on you previously.

That said if you know something nobody else knows, please share.

 

[Number8]

Problem is that other teams have back up problems just like the Bruins. They are hard to find.

Yes and No. If you look at our competitors in the East, here's how their Goalie/Backup situations fall.

Toronto - 14 GS / 16 PTS - Projects to 94 over full season.
Montreal - 18 GS / 20 PTS - Projects to 91 over full season.
NYI - 27 GS / 25 PTS - Projects to 76 over full season.
Boston - 15 GS / 12 PTS - Projects to 66 over full season.

Ottawa, Florida, and Tampa all have a true split in goalies -- two of more playing essentially equal number of games.

It's also worth noting that most of the 12 points we've got from our back-ups have come in recent weeks -- after we were already in a bit of a hole.

Hard to see how our backup goalie situation is anything less than a massive fail.

 

[LouJersey]

He is what he is. What is the use of having a goalie who can only play 55 games a year. Can you even have a long playoff with a goalie like that? Playoffs are 20+ to get to the Cup. If he sucks/fatigued/mental case at the 60 game mark what's the point?

 

[smithformeragent]

He is what he is. What is the use of having a goalie who can only play 55 games a year. Can you even have a long playoff with a goalie like that? Playoffs are 20+ to get to the Cup. If he sucks/fatigued/mental case at the 60 game mark what's the point?

Yes, but only if there's a lockout.

M'I doing it rite?

 

[Daishi]

He is what he is. What is the use of having a goalie who can only play 55 games a year. Can you even have a long playoff with a goalie like that? Playoffs are 20+ to get to the Cup. If he sucks/fatigued/mental case at the 60 game mark what's the point?

Tim Thomas played on average 55 games every year. I think we were quite happy about his performance. Apparently the gold fish memory at these boards doesn't go that far.

 

[smithformeragent]

I found myself thinking a lot about Cam Ward the other day.

This is a guy who won a Cup what feels like a lifetime ago.

He's a #1, but he's toiled in Carolina for years.
Is he responsible for not elevating that club to the playoffs?
Victim of circumstance?
Somewhere in between?

I wonder how that relates to Rask the last several seasons.
Is it possible to judge a goalie in a vacuum, outside of a system, a defensive corps, a club?

 

[smithformeragent]

Tim Thomas played on average 55 games every year. I think we were quite happy about his performance. Apparently the gold fish memory at these boards doesn't go that far.

Thomas is a weird situation.
His GP numbers are skewed because he came in as an emergency guy during his first year as the starter.
They did lean on him heavily the one season, but after that point they had a very stable backup situation.

Of course, he lost the job in '10 and then regained it in '11.

In '11 and '12 you had Rask there to soak up a lot of starts as the backup.

 

[Daishi]

I found myself thinking a lot about Cam Ward the other day.

This is a guy who won a Cup what feels like a lifetime ago.

He's a #1, but he's toiled in Carolina for years.
Is he responsible for not elevating that club to the playoffs?
Victim of circumstance?
Somewhere in between?

I wonder how that relates to Rask the last several seasons.
Is it possible to judge a goalie in a vacuum, outside of a system, a defensive corps, a club?

I compare Rask with Bobrovsky. They're near the same age. They both have international success. They both won the Vezina and fell off when their clubs fell off. They both make over 7M. Torts got the Jackets playing well, so now Bob is back on the Vezina map too.

Compared to the options, I think the Bruins should hold on to what they have in Rask and try to help him the best they can. When the Bruins D starts playing well and the team finally buys into a system that works, Rask will be there too. With the right coaching and division of labor he can elevate his play back to where it was.

It's better than trading him for scraps and going with some unknown journeyman free agents for what will inevitably be a fairly similar cap hit altogether. This latter option is a desperate one that only satisfies the vengeance of some fans, but doesn't make the club any better. My 2 cents.