All is well in the Hub of Hockey.
The Boston Bruins have been absolute gangbusters of late, grabbing points in their last 16 games and going 12-0-4 during that stretch. The B’s last fell in regulation on Jan. 19 against the New York Rangers.
While a multitude of players have found their stride during the streak, the impressive play of Tuukka Rask and Jaroslav Halak in net has come to the forefront.
Rask is 14-0-3 in his last 17 starts, setting a pretty impressive NHL mark with his shutout win over the New Jersey Devils on Sunday. Rask is 22-8-5 with a 2.29 goals against average and a .922 save percentage on the season. Halak, who will get the start against the Carolina Hurricanes on Tuesday night at TD Garden, is 4-0-1 in his last five starts with a .956 save percentage. The two have split the goaltending duties pretty evenly this season, with Rask making 35 starts and Halak not far behind with 30.
Given the Bruins’ recent tear, a playoff spot is inevitable, with the Black and Gold most likely heading toward a rematch against the Toronto Maple Leafs in the first round of the Stanley Cup Playoffs as either the No. 2 or No. 3 seed in the Atlantic Division.
With 17 games remaining over the next 33 days, how will Bruce Cassidy decide to play out his goalie rotation? Will he stick to a balanced approach, or lean on Rask, the clear No. 1 come playoff time, and be sure to secure home-ice advantage in the first round?
Cassidy, according to The Athletic’s Joe McDonald, plans to go with a 60/40 split down the stretch, with Rask getting the bulk of the starts.
“It’s been great so far and I’m sure we’re going to keep it going and keep both guys fresh,” Rask told McDonald.
In his Sunday notes, The Boston Globe’s Kevin Paul Dupont noted that Rask could get as many as a dozen games down the stretch.
“With 17 games left and only a pair of back-to-backers, coach Bruce Cassidy likely will go with Rask in upward of a dozen starts, if not more,” Dupont wrote. “The main goal down the stretch again will be clinching home ice for what now looks like the inevitable first-round rematch with the Leafs.”
A dozen more starts would put Rask at 47 starts on the campaign, which would mark his fewest since the lockout-shortened 2012-13 season. So it’s clear that no matter how the Bruins decide to play out the rest of the season with their goaltenders, they, as Rask stated, have done well to keep both goalies fresh.
