After getting pulled in Game 5, Tuukka Rask 'ready to roll' tonight vs. Leafs

TORONTO – For anyone who thought Tuukka Rask would not be the starting goaltender for the Bruins in Game 6 against the Toronto Maple Leafs tonight at Air Canada Centre, you should have your head checked.

“Ready to roll,” said Bruce Cassidy, when asked about Rask for Game 6.

Rask had an opportunity to help end this series in Game 5 but he wasn’t sharp and Cassidy made a goalie change after the Maple Leafs gained a 4-1 lead in the second period. Rask sprinted down the tunnel and who knows how much shrapnel was left in the hallway afterward, but he quickly returned to the bench to watch the Bruins nearly mount a comeback before losing by one goal.

“In Game 3, he was average and he came back with a very good game in Game 4 in Toronto,” Cassidy said. “Clearly we need that going into (Game 6). We’ve revisited it a million times and I will say (Game 5), I didn’t think he was at his best and we made a move accordingly. Our team wasn’t at its best defending in front of him, in terms of killing rushes. We allowed too much space and that went hand in hand and in (Game 6) we need to be better in both those areas.”

Let’s take a look back at Rask’s postseason experiences in series-clinching scenarios:

In 2010, the Bruins had a 3-1 lead but lost Game 5 to the Buffalo Sabres. Rask and the Bruins rebounded and won Game 6 (stopped 27 of 30 shots). Even though fans don’t want to recall what happened in the next series, it’s important to mention Boston’s 3-0 series lead on the Flyers before the historic implosion with Rask between the pipes (Game 7: stopped 23 of 27).

In 2013, the Bruins had a 3-1 series lead on the Maple Leafs, but Boston lost Games 5 and 6 and then needed a dramatic comeback in Game 7 to advance (24 of 28). The Bruins had a 3-0 series lead on the Rangers but lost Game 4. Rask responded and the Bruins closed out New York in Game 5 (28 of 29). Boston then swept the Penguins in the Eastern Conference final.

In the Stanley Cup final, the Bruins had a 2-1 series lead, but Rask couldn’t steal another victory and the Blackhawks won three straight en route to a championship (Game 6: 28 of 31).

In 2014, the Bruins had a 3-2 lead on the Canadiens, but Montreal won Games 5 and 6 for the series win (Game 6: 15 of 18).

In 2017, the Senators had a 3-2 series lead and the Bruins forced Game 7, but Ottawa won and advanced to the second round (26 of 29).

This spring, Rask needs to have a short memory.

“We’ll see tonight,” Cassidy said. “This time of year, in the playoffs, you’ve got to have a short memory. That’s a position you generally have to have a short memory. You don’t want to drag some stuff into your next start, no matter what time of the year it is, specifically this time of year, so he bounced back and had a really good game in Game 4 after we lost a game, not on him. Hopefully, that’s the case tonight. We’ll see. He’s a good playoff goaltender and we’ve got to be a little better in front of him and give him some confidence as well. We didn’t do enough of that in the first period (Game 5).”

The Bruins understand Rask is a product of the team in front of him, and overall, it needs to be better in Game 6. If the Maple Leafs force a Game 7, anything can happen.

“He’s so even keel that from game to game you wouldn’t know what the result was, or whether he stood on his head, or what the case might be, so that’s one of his strong qualities,” said defenseman Adam McQuaid. “We have that confidence in him and it allows you just to worry about yourself. You know he’s going to be alright, so everyone can do their thing and make sure they’re ready.”

McQuaid and Rask began their pro careers together in Providence, so the veteran defenseman has witnessed the goalie’s development, both mentally and emotionally for the last decade.

“Like anybody, he’s matured in his game and that focus from game to game, he’s not influenced when certain things happen in a game,” McQuaid said. “He’s able to stay focused.”