Tuukka Rask’s career certainly will be one many will remember.
The now-retired goalie has the most wins between the pipes in Boston Bruins history, has his name on the 2011 Stanley Cup, is a 2014 Vezina Trophy winner and helped lead the team to the 2013 and 2019 Cup Finals.
The 34-year old’s career came to an unfortunate end earlier this month when he retired, citing “lingering effects” from offseason hip surgery that would not allow him to perform at the level he knows he’s capable.
Rask puts himself among some other Bruins greats like Tim Thomas, Tiny Thompson and Gerry Cheevers. But where would head coach Bruce Cassidy rank him?
“Well that’s always subjective. I think he’s he is one of the all-time greats if not one of Boston’s best of all-time,” Cassidy said during an appearance on TSN 1200 on Monday. “I know Timmy Thomas had the run to win the Cup, that matters. But Tuukka had two great runs to get us to the Cup. Unfortunately, we didn’t get to the finish line. In the year I was here in ’19 and (I was) around in ’13, but he was still a great goaltender through those playoff runs. So a little unfair, that he gets that kind of pasted to him here in Boston.
“And like I said, you know, guys can argue this guy or that guy has a little better numbers or this team and we were a defensive-based team here in Boston, have been for years, but a lot of that has to do, it starts with the goaltender, right? You can’t be a really good defensive team if the guy can’t stop the puck in there. So it started with Timmy and then goes into Tuukka and hopefully (Jeremy) Swayman and (Linus) Ullmark carry that on. So I think for Bruins, either Cheevers who had a great run, they won a couple in the ’70s. You have to go back to I think Tiny Thompson, way back when, which is before my time, but I would certainly think in the conversation with the best all-time in Boston.”
Rask has faced a slew of criticism throughout his career, but there certainly is no denying the numbers he put up throughout 15 seasons.
