Make no mistake about it: the Boston Bruins have a serious goaltender controversy on their hands.
The B’s picked up a thrilling 3-2 shootout win over the New Jersey Devils on Wednesday night. It was Boston’s third straight victory, and backup goalie Anton Khudobin has been in net for all three.
But with his latest performance, Khudobin is putting more and more distance between he and the word “backup.”
The veteran netminder stopped 40 of 42 shots at the Prudential Center on Wednesday, with a myriad of highlight-reel saves sprinkled throughout. He’s now first in the NHL in save percentage (.938) and third in goals against average (2.13). Most importantly, Khudobin has started eight games, and the Bruins have points in all eight (six wins).
Let’s compare those numbers with those of Tuukka Rask, the Bruins’ longtime No. 1 goalie.
Rask ranks 50th out of 72 qualifying goalies with a .897 save percentage, and his 2.89 goals against average is good for 39th in the league. Rask, who won the Vezina Trophy in 2014, has started in 12 games and has just three wins to show for it (3-7-2).
Now, is it entirely Rask’s fault that the B’s are 3-9 in his starts? Of course not. But numbers don’t lie, and Rask’s stats this year can be best described with one word: disappointing. Call it riding the hot hand, call it sending Rask a message — call it whatever you want. But the fact remains that Khudobin, not Rask, deserves to be between the pipes until further notice
Furthermore, for reasons that are difficult to pin down, the Bruins simply seem to play better and harder when Khudobin is in net. Bruins head coach Bruce Cassidy has acknowledged as much.
Is Rask the better goalie than Khudobin? Of course. He’s a world-class netminder that’s among the most talented in the NHL. Has he had a better career than Khudobin? Without a doubt, and he likely will have a superior resume when all is said and done.
But none of that matters to the Bruins, who need wins and are fighting to remain in the Eastern Conference playoff picture. And when it comes to which goalie gives the B’s the best chance to win right now, the answer is Khudobin.
Here are some other notes from Bruins Devils:
— Braintree, Mass., native and Boston College alum Brian Gibbons scored the tying goal for the Devils in the third period.
— Former Boston University player Matt Grzelcyk assisted Jake DeBrusk’s goal in the first period. It was Grzelcyk’s first point in four NHL games.
— An old friend was in the Prudential Center.
— Ryan Spooner returned after missing 14 games with a groin injury.
— Injured Bruins Torey Krug and Brad Marchand missed their fourth and fifth consecutive games, respectively
— There are a lot of former BC Eagles on the Devils’ payroll.
— The Boston Celtics saw their 16-game winning streak come to an end Wednesday night against the Miami Heat — which means this:
— The Bruins power play has gone dormant since the calendar turned to November.
— With the win, the Bruins moved to within three points of the Washington Capitals for the Eastern Conference’s final wild card spot. The Caps, though, have played three more games than the B’s.
