'Goalie Bob' is the man behind the so-called controversy

He’s simply known as Goalie Bob.

Boston Bruins goalie coach Bob Essensa has been with the organization for 15 seasons. Other than an occasional postgame shoutout by Bruce Cassidy, Essensa’s job goes unnoticed to the public, but his results are proof of the positive impact he’s made during his tenure as the goalie guru.

Essensa is one of the reasons why many believe there’s a goalie controversy. Let’s make this clear: There is not. Tuukka Rask is the No. 1 goalie. He will not be traded. Anton Khudobin will not become the starter. The reason this notion is even being discussed is partly because of Essensa’s ability to get the most from Khudobin, who has been a career backup.



There were questions during the offseason whether or not Khudobin could handle that role on a consistent basis in 2017-18. He’s answered those and has been the better of the two goalies so far, but that doesn’t mean he’ll become the starter. This is where you have to give Essensa credit for helping Khudobin find his game.

Now the focus is getting Rask to rejuvenate his Vezina-like career.

Goalie Bob “has got a really good relationship with both those guys,” Cassidy told BostonSportsJournal.com “He’s the guy who deals with them every day technically and where their head space is at. I wouldn’t say it’s a unique job, but it kind of is because you’re focused on one area and one area only. Then you’ve got to be in concert with what the head coach wants.”

This is what the coach wants: For both goalies to reach a point where they’re both playing well and giving the Bruins a chance to win on a nightly basis.

“We’ve seen that with Anton, but Tuukka’s not there yet,” Cassidy said. “He’s working on his game with Goalie Bob on individual stuff, and in practice, he’s out there competing. He just hasn’t pulled it all together yet. That’s a product of the individual. It’s a product of how the team plays in front of him. If we can get both a little bit better, the result will be there. We’re not that far away.”

Cassidy said he’d announce Wednesday morning which goalie is starting against the Tampa Bay Lightning later that night at TD Garden. Despite Rask’s 3-8-2 record compared to Khudobin’s 7-0-2 mark, Rask will likely get the start against the Lightning.

It’s a no-win situation. The Bruins will be without David Krejci (back) and Jake DeBrusk (upper body), while Brad Marchand and David Backes will be game-time decisions. The lineup is depleted and the Bruins will have one elite centerman (Patrice Bergeron) to face the top team in the Eastern Conference.

Even if Rask plays well, like he did during Sunday’s 4-2 loss to the Edmonton Oilers, fans will blame him and say Cassidy made the wrong decision. In order for the Bruins to be successful this season, they need both goalies to make an impact. The quicker Rask finds his game the better off it will be for the team.

That’s Essensa’s job.

His track record speaks for itself. He helped Tim Thomas shed his image as a career minor leaguer to become one of the best goalies in franchise history with a Stanley Cup, two Vezina trophies and a Conn Smythe. Essensa helped Rask become a No. 1 goalie in the NHL, a Vezina winner and a Stanley Cup runner-up.

“He did a great job with Timmy Thomas to be able to get him to perform to a top level,” Cassidy said. “Tuukka is a completely different animal, and Anton is going now the way of Timmy as far as style. For (Essensa) he’s got to know their style and allow them to be themselves and he’s been good, he hasn’t tried to put a square peg in a round hole.

“I like the guy. He has a great temperament for it. He’s even-keeled, never gets too high or too low. Obviously, as a head coach, win or lose, the temperature goes up and it’s usually ‘Oh, the damn goalie’ so (goalie coach) has to be able to take all the heat and be able to deflect it and talk about (goalie’s performance) normally and he’s good at it. He’s well-liked by everybody.”

Former Bruins backup Chad Johnson had a career season with Boston in 2013-14. Under Essensa’s tutelage, former prospect Niklas Svedberg produced two outstanding seasons in Providence, but his game wouldn’t translate at the NHL level, possibly because of his size.

Unfortunately for the Bruins, the Vegas Golden Knights are now enjoying Essensa’s hard work with Malcolm Subban, who is 4-0-0 since the expansion team claimed him off waivers from the Bruins.

Fortunately for the Bruins, Khudobin found his game with the help of Goalie Bob.

“I like to work with him. There’s nothing that he tries to change in a goalie. He tries to help,” Khudobin told BSJ. “He looks at your weaknesses and helps you to improve in those areas. That’s the best thing about Goalie Bob; he doesn’t want to change you or your style, he helps you improve your ability and fundamentals.

“I’ve always been comfortable working with him – always. I’ve never had any problems. It’s always been a good time with him and he always understands when we need to work on something or when we need to have some fun.”

Essensa has been the only goalie coach Rask has worked with during his NHL career.

“It’s a great relationship,” Rask told BSJ. “He tries to work with your strengths. The past couple of years he’s been a full-timer, so we’re able to do a lot more video and stuff, just like everybody else in the league. Back in the day, he wasn’t around as much so it was different. It’s been great.”

“I haven’t had anybody else, but it’s been working. He tries to get better and we try to get better and we try to get better together. The game’s changing and we’re changing constantly and trying to change with it, but it’s been great.”

Something that goes unnoticed is a goalie coach’s ability to have all the goalies in the organization on the same page on and off the ice, especially the two on the NHL roster. When the Bruins were at their best, Thomas and Rask worked well as a tandem and the results prove that. Even though Khudobin is the one currently playing well and earning points, there’s no issue with Rask.

“For us it’s not a controversy,” admitted Rask. “People look at our salaries, how much I’m making and how much he’s making and maybe make that a big deal. He’s playing very, very good and getting the wins, so I can’t complain.

“It could be very beneficial in the long run, because as you move on later in the season, if you have both goalies feeling good about their games it will benefit the team, even in the playoffs,” Rask said. “We’ve seen that work around the league and hopefully we’re building something similar here.”

Khudobin concurs.

“It’s always great,” he said of his relationship with Rask. “It’s important. Ever since I got here we’ve had a good relationship. Whoever gets the net, or is sitting on the bench, it doesn’t matter. We’re here for the same result. I’ve had different relationships with other goalies (I’ve played with) and some goalies are really quiet before the game, so you don’t want to bother him. With Tuukka, we can chat about the game before and after the game, and on the plane, the bus we’re chatting.”

This situation will play itself out. If, and when, the lineup is healthy and both goalies are playing at the top of their game, it will bode well for the Bruins.

“Tuukka’s our No. 1. Anton’s our backup, and our backup has played really well and he’s pushing our No. 1,” Cassidy said. “We wanted that, so hopefully our No. 1 gets his game up where they’re both playing at the top of their game.”

It has to be that way because there's no one else for the Bruins to rely on.