This is going to sound strange after a Game 2 on Saturday night that the Bruins won 7-3 and the top line registered in the vicinity of a billion points against a Maple Leafs defense that has, to this point, looked slow, bewildered and outclassed.
But if it wasn't for Tuukka Rask, the goaltender that elicits such a range of emotion from the Bruins fandom, that game and the series could have been much different.
“Yeah, I mean you look at a game like this, sometimes that gets overlooked, but for sure,” Bruce Cassidy said.
The coach was talking specifically about a stretch near the end of the second period when the Bruins, leading 5-2 at the time, hibernated for a bit.
With 10:01 remaining, the Leafs had a 2-on-1 with Andreas Johnsson and Auston Matthews, and Rask got a piece of a scorching wrist shot from Johnsson.
Then, with 4:08 left in the period, Travis Dermott blasted from the point and it was handled by Rask. Matthews retrieved the rebound and was all alone with Rask for a backhander that he swatted aside, and then he flashed his left pad to stuff Patrick Marleau on the doorstep and covered up with William Nylander looking to pounce.
At that point, Cassidy had seen enough, especially from his forwards who were watching instead of getting in the play.
“We had to talk some skill players out of that mentality for a stretch there,” Cassidy said. “And they’re a good team, they’re going to have a push. They turned it up. They’re good in transition.”
A goal in the closing moments of that second period could have changed the complexion of the game. If the young Leafs went into the intermission down 5-3, they could have sensed an opportunity to steal a game before the series shifted back to Toronto. Fortunately for the Bruins, Rask was there to save the Bruins from their bouts of ineffectiveness.
“He is the backbone of the team and he is one of the best goalies in the league,” said Brad Marchand. “He makes big saves at big times and when it is needed, and it was needed there a couple of times. You know, they put a push on, it easily could have been a different game so he did a good job back there.”
Matthews, the star of the Maple Leafs, has obviously been frustrated to this point in this series.
“I don’t know, (expletive) happens I guess,” said Matthews, when asked if he could have ever imagined his line would be out-pointed 20-0 by the Bruins’ top line after two games.
There’s no doubt the Bruins have paid him extra attention and the team defense has done an exceptional job. But Rask has personally frustrated Matthews as well.
With 14:53 left in the second, Matthews finally found space against the Bruins and unleashed a wicked wrist shot but Rask snagged it with his glove.
TUUKKA RASK ROBS AUSTON MATTHEWS WITH A GLOVE SAVE AND A BEAUT!#GoBruins pic.twitter.com/mn2D91Na6d
— NHL Daily 365 (@NHLDaily365) April 15, 2018