WILMINGTON, Mass. — Just two finalists remain in the previously wide-open battle for the Boston Bruins’ backup goalie job: Jeremy Smith and Jonas Gustavsson.
Speaking after Tuesday’s practice at Ristuccia Arena, Smith deflected questions about his competition with Gustavsson, instead stressing he’s just striving for daily improvement.
“I think I’m just showing up to the rink every day looking to get better and just trying to play my game,” said Smith, a five-year American Hockey League veteran who has yet to appear in an NHL game. “So, I think it’s more about getting better every day. I want to be an impact player in this league. I want to be a go-to goalie. I think it’s a process, and I think I just have to keep working on it.”
The 26-year-old went on to say the trimming of goalies Malcolm Subban and Zane McIntyre from the Bruins’ roster this past weekend has not altered his focus, which remains on following the example of Boston’s starting netminder Tuukka Rask.
“I don’t think it changes it at all,” Smith said. “Because what happens doesn’t affect me at all. It doesn’t affect the way I play. So, all I have to do is focus on how I’m going to play, how I’m feeling and pushing myself to get better. You look at a guy like Rask, who, you know what I mean? He’s gotten to the level that he is at by doing those things, and that’s what I want to do. I think I focus more on, ‘How do I get to where Tuukka is?’ ”
Smith is unsure how or if he’ll be used over Boston’s final two preseason games, and head coach Claude Julien confirmed that Gustavsson, who has logged just a period-and-a-half of ice time thus far, would start Wednesday against the New York Rangers.
As for what he’s looking for in his backup goalie, Julien said confidence, not stats, will be the determining factor.
Former No. 2 Niklas Svedberg had the latter last season (2.33 goals against average in 18 appearances) but never earned trust that he could perform in key spots. That, coupled with the fact that the Bruins were locked in a heated and ultimately unsuccessful fight for a playoff spot, forced the team to trot Rask out 70 times over the course of the season — the third-highest total in the league and by far the most strenuous workload of his career.
“I think last year for some reason, even though the numbers weren’t that bad, we found a lot of scrambling in the net, and I think it made everybody nervous at times,” Julien explained. “So, that was one of the things. But had we been in a better position last year than we were, we obviously would have used (Svedberg) a little bit more, and he probably would have been better, as well. But we had to go with Tuukka. Those are just circumstances. And this year, (we) want to have a goaltender that we hopefully can put in there a decent amount of times so that Tuukka gets his rest.”
Rask made his preseason debut Monday night, finishing with 21 saves in a 3-1 loss to the Detroit Red Wings. Smith has played in one full game and a period-and-a-half of another, saving 34 of the 37 shots sent his way.
Thumbnail photo via Bob DeChiara/USA TODAY Sports Images
