NHL Notebook: Equipment staff keeps Bruins razor sharp

When Tuukka Rask lost a skate blade in the Bruins' Game 1 win against the Tampa Bay Lightning, he was incredulous when officials did not stop the play. He pleaded for their attention, but play went on and the Lightning scored an easy goal against a hobbled, distracted goaltender.

It was a wacky situation, highlighted by Rask’s blade-slinging outburst, that shed light on a rather unknown portion of the NHL rulebook. According to Rule 14. 1, “play shall not be stopped, nor the game delayed, by reasons of adjustments to clothing, equipment, skates or sticks.” The only instance in which play stops is if the goaltender’s mask comes off, an obvious safety concern.

By the end of the game, the fluky goal was meaningless. The Bruins won 6-2. Rask collected himself and played well. More importantly, he wasn’t hurt on the play. The situation embodied a player’s worst nightmare: an unforeseen equipment malfunction that prevents them from accomplishing their task.

Not every instance is as obvious as Rask’s — or as consequential. But behind every one of these scenarios is the lightning-quick work of Keith Robinson, Jim "Beets" Johnson, and Matt Falconer, the unsung heroes of the Bruins equipment staff who make sure the players can get back on the ice without missing a shift.

“Those guys are really on their toes,” Adam McQuaid said. “Little things the average person might not notice, whatever the case might be, they work extremely hard. Those guys don't get enough credit.”

Robinson has worked on the equipment staff longer than 14 Bruins players have been alive. He’s the chief of the unit and knows the intricacies of every players’ skates. When Rask blew his tire against the Lightning, he limped to the bench and propped his skate on the boards so Robinson could fix it.

1. How about the Washington Capitals? Don't look now but this could be the year they make it out of the second round, the dreaded portion of the playoffs that has haunted them the last three years. And what better way to do it than knocking off their formidable foe? The Capitals lead the Penguins, 3-2, after a 6-3 win Saturday night. Jakub Vrana, the Caps 22-year-old forward, got a bump to the first line and delivered the go-ahead goal. How's that for a story? Oh, and a guess at who knocked Washington out two of the last three years? The Penguins. Game 6 should be a thriller Monday night.


2. Pretty cool to see the Winnipeg Jets pull ahead on the Nashville Predators, 3-2, in the series. It's just the second time they're in the playoffs after the relocation from Atlanta and they were bounced in the first round in 2015. I'm still rooting for Nashville. That place is fun as hell and the Tennessee Titans linemen chug beer from a catfish before games. How can you beat that?


3. Speaking of expansion, how about that party in Vegas? It's been going on all year and really is remarkable. A bunch of castoffs, like former Bruins defenseman Colin Miller, from other teams contending for the Stanley Cup, playing for a team in a place where magic shows and gambling is still the desired form of entertainment. But man, has this worked out for the Golden Knights. Everyone is happier when you win, and this one of the better sports storylines in recent memory. The city has embraced the team wholeheartedly and it will be fun to see where this ends up. I'll be watching Sunday night as they try to close out the San Jose Sharks.


4. Game 4 of the Bruins-Lightning series provided a glimpse at how hard it is to officiate the game. Forget about botched calls that don't go in favor of your rooting interest. These guys have an incredibly hard job, not just from an officiating standpoint, but also physically. They're constantly in on the action, and sometimes on the wrong end of it. Referee Francois St. Laurent went hard into the boards in the third period and finished the remainder of the period. He was replaced in overtime, a rare officiating change in the middle of a game. He earned his paycheck that night.


5. Tampa has a pretty sweet pregame introduction performance. From the music, to the light show, to the kid skating around at center ice to pump up the crowd, it's a cool performance. I'd like to see the Bruins step up their game a bit, but I imagine all the bells and whistles don't scream "Original Six." It's OK to change with the times.