The Boston Bruins are in the midst of a season-high seven-game point streak and Tuukka Rask’s excellent performances are one of the keys to the team’s improved play over the last two weeks.
The veteran goaltender earned his 17th win of the season Saturday afternoon with 24 saves on 25 shots against the Philadelphia Flyers. His shutout bid ended with 5:47 remaining when Flyers center Claude Giroux scored on the power play.
The Bruins were out shot 9-4 in the third period and 25-18 through 60 minutes. They also gave up six power plays and 56 shot attempts, but Rask made several clutch saves to give his team a chance to win.
Boston has earned at least one point from 10 of Rask’s last 11 starts (5-1-5) and he’s given up two goals or fewer in seven of those games. He also has an impressive .925 even-strength save percentage over that span.
Rask has been forced to work hard for all three of his wins since the calendar turned to 2015. The Bruins have been out shot in each of his last three starts and have gone through long stretches defending in their own zone.
| Opponent | SF-SA | GA | Saves | SV% |
| Jan. 4 vs. CAR | 20-36 | 1 | 35 | 0.972 |
| Jan. 7 vs. PIT | 24-39 | 2 | 37 | 0.960 |
| Jan. 10 vs. PHI | 18-25 | 1 | 24 | 0.940 |
Rask’s numbers (17-10-6, .914 save percentage, 2.47 goals against average) aren’t as impressive as last season when he won the first Vezina Trophy of his career.
Stats don’t tell the whole story, though, because Rask has played better than his numbers would indicate. Inconsistency on the blue line — most notably the departure of Johnny Boychuk and injuries to Zdeno Chara, Kevan Miller, Torey Krug and Adam McQuaid — and the higher-than-normal amount of young, inexperienced players receiving ice time have put more pressure on Rask to play at a higher level each game. The amount of defensive breakdowns and scoring chances against also were a bit alarming over the first three months of the season.
Rask kept the Bruins in the playoff race despite these defensive issues and an offense that’s scoring less at 5-on-5 compared to 2013-14. His improved play over the last two weeks is an encouraging sign for the Bruins, who begin a difficult three-game homestand Tuesday against the Atlantic Division-leading Tampa Bay Lightning.
The remainder of the NHL All-Stars will be announced Saturday evening. Each team must be represented, and the most likely selections from the Bruins are defenseman Dougie Hamilton and forward Patrice Bergeron.
Although, you could make a pretty good case for Rask, too.
Thumbnail photo via Charles LeClaire/USA TODAY Sports Images
