Tuukka Rask named NHL first star of the week

Boston Bruins goaltender Tuukka Rask has been named the NHL first star of the week for the week ending December 24. He posted a 3-0-0 record, along with a 1.30 goals-against average and a .954 save percentage. In those three games, he totaled 83 saves.

Overall, he's 11-8-3 with a 2.28 GAA and a .918 SP in 23 games this season. After struggling to start the season, Rask is 8-0-1 in his last nine starts with a 1.45 GAA, a .946 SP and one shutout in that span. He will also represent the Bruins at the 2017 NHL all-star game.



When asked what has changed for Rask during his recent stretch of success, coach Bruce Cassidy said the goalie been getting a few more breaks now compared to the start of the season.

"He alluded to that, that he thought he was playing fairly consistent hockey, just wasn’t getting a lot of breaks," Cassidy said. "We played well in front of him in stretches when he wasn’t winning. I still think we have played well in front of him, but now, the times we’re not, he has stepped up his game for us."

When Rask struggled, backup Anton Khudobin was outstanding and produced a career-best nine-game point streak with a 7-0-2 record, including four consecutive starts. Not only did he help the Bruins earn important points, Khudobin's success created some internal competition, which served as a wakeup call for Rask.

"The last month was good," Rask said. "We're trending in the right direction and we're playing the way we want to play and it's been resulting in wins, so we've got to keep it going after the break."