Player Discussion Tuukka Rask - Part 2 (MOD # 598)
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Lobster57
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Danton Heineken
Howard Potts
Hali33
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ReggieMoto
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Outside of homerism, not sure why people want to define him as elite, as opposed to good or very good. By what standard of measure is he elite? He did win a Vezina once, to be sure. Outside of that, what then?
In my mind, an elite goalie is a rarity. Tip of the pyramid, so to speak. Maybe top 5%, maybe even better than that. They make lemonade out of lemons. This season, Rask is one of thirty starting goalies in the league and today he does not fall into the top ten in any category (GAA, Save %, wins, shutouts). Top 10 represents top 30%.
Rask's GAA and Save % are very much the league average. By this measure, this year, he is average. Is this a product of a mediocre defense? His stats began a downward trend since he won the Vezina. The last two seasons have been very average.
The question that has to be asked and answered, though, is would an elite goalie sit exactly middle-of-the-road even in the face of adversity? Or would an elite goalie make at least some lemonade? This season demanded lemonade but I don't remember any being served.
Tuukka tried to make lemonade, but people keep discounting that he was given ****ing oranges to try and make lemonade with. There isn't a single goalie in the league who finishes in top 10 in any stats with 2.5 NHL defenseman in front of him
Danton Heineken
Howard Potts
Tuukka is a good goalie.
I have no doubt he was sick yesterday.
It is very nerve wracking playing a "Win and your in" game.
Anyone could have stomach problems facing that pressure.
I have no doubt he was sick yesterday.
It is very nerve wracking playing a "Win and your in" game.
Anyone could have stomach problems facing that pressure.
KrejciMVP
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I miss timmy.
On a side note Roy put up 66 saves in a 3 OT game with appendicitus. That's a hockey player
On a side note Roy put up 66 saves in a 3 OT game with appendicitus. That's a hockey player
Danton Heineken
Howard Potts
But not all of us have 7 million reasons why we should sack up when the season is on the line.
Maybe he can get some sympathy from Mark Recchi, who was receiving IV nutrients in the locker room shortly before puck drop of a Game 7, because he had just dealt with passing kidney stones. I'm sure he'd understand that Tuukka had the trots and needed a personal day.
The problem with goaltending is that they are very up and down from season to season. Everyone right now says Price is the Best goalie in the world, but he has also been wildly inconsistent throughout his career. Holtby is probably the best this season, but how much of that is because he plays for a very good team. This is the first time since Rask started in the NHL that he was on a "bad" team and his stats have dropped along with it. I haven't seen a single "elite" goalie that hasn't had seasons where their stats were closer to average than they were to awesome.
Right now I think the Bruins need to have a total rebuild because I don't trust management's ability to retool this team. With a rebuild comes losing and having a good/great/elite goalie during a rebuild is a waste of their talent. But when the time comes for this team to contend I can guarantee that the Bruins will want a top goalie and top goalies make top $$$$$.
Right now I think the Bruins need to have a total rebuild because I don't trust management's ability to retool this team. With a rebuild comes losing and having a good/great/elite goalie during a rebuild is a waste of their talent. But when the time comes for this team to contend I can guarantee that the Bruins will want a top goalie and top goalies make top $$$$$.
Had he went out there sick as a dog and lost, I'm assuming we would still be calling this guy a choke artist? With the way everyone played in the 2nd yesterday, anything short of an actual brick wall wouldn't have made a difference.
If Rask had played and lost, he would have been blamed for the loss...and he knows that.
He would not have been able to bring out the "but I was sick" excuse. Now he can.
He would not have been able to bring out the "but I was sick" excuse. Now he can.
What we're the circumstances though? Did Tuukka ask for a night off to nurse a flu? Maybe Claude saw or heard him blowing chunks hours prior to the game and told him he couldn't play?
Danton Heineken
Howard Potts
You're right, he should have suited up and lost 9-1 while ******** his pants and puking in his mask and you would be Soooooooo happy with him, right?
Be less obvious with your agenda.
Also the whole "Mark Recchi passed a kidney stone so it's impossible for Rask to be too sick" is a brilliant take
I also find it hilarious that the same people who try and discredit his talent before yesterday needed him to be in the net so badly. Surely a goalie who isn't that great to begin with would be a terrible goalie when sick no?
Too much logic? Ok I'm done here
Too much logic? Ok I'm done here
No, that's a dumb risk that could've cost someone their life. Contrary to what some believe, hockey isn't more important than life itself.
I have never met someone that values hockey over life.
That must be a strange group of people.
ReggieMoto
Registered User
Perhaps you've not met them, but you interact with a good number of them here. And yes, it can be a strange group of people.
northeastern
Registered User
I miss 2011 Thomas. But of Thomas's 10 seasons about half of them he put up numbers worse than tuukkas .915 sv% this season... he was clutch in a few seasons but he wasn't close to prefect and not even playoffs Thomas would have helped all that much this season...
Yup. His story is remarkable, but there's a reason why he was stuck in Europe and a backup in the NHL so long. We'll never forget his run, but he had his share of stinkers, too.
I find the thought that Tuukka should've played while sick ridiculous, because there's a implication behind it that his play (while sick) would've made a positive difference, which is just laughable. He's not the one responsible for defensive breakdowns, and it's far more likely he would've been ineffective than good given his ailment.
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