Bruce Cassidy’s call for Tuukka Rask in net for Winter Classic more than panned out taken at Notre Dame Stadium (Bruins)

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Bruce Cassidy’s call for Tuukka Rask in net for Winter Classic more than panned out

By Conor Ryan

Jan 2, 2019 • 10:51 am

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SOUTH BEND, Ind. — Tuesday stood as the third Winter Classic game Tuukka Rask has been a part of, but upon tuning out most of the fanfare that comes with the outdoor showcases, the previous two outings haven’t been all that enjoyable for the B’s netminder.

After watching Boston post an overtime victory over the Flyers in 2010 from the bench, Rask found himself at the mercy of the Habs during the 2016 event at Gillette Stadium, leaving Foxboro with an unsightly .833 save percentage (25 saves on 30 shots) in what was an embarrassing 5-1 drubbing.

Now, that Winter Classic outing was three years ago — and Rask was far from the only player that laid an egg in front of a home crowd that afternoon. But still, the logic was going to be sound if Bruce Cassidy opted to start Jaroslav Halak in place of Rask for Tuesday’s Winter Classic matchup against the Blackhawks at Notre Dame Stadium.

While Rask has rebounded from an ugly start (4-4-0, .901 save percentage through eight games) to earn steady reps back in Boston’s rotation, it’s hard to possess many qualms when it comes to Halak’s game, especially in his first season with the Bruins.

Ranked first in the NHL (min. 10 appearances) in save percentage at .928 and sixth in goals-against average (2.28), Halak has been one of the top netminders in the league this year, and would be the go-to option in net for just about any club — especially for a nationally-televised matchup such as the Winter Classic.

But, for as much as Cassidy stresses healthy internal competition, finding some equilibrium on the roster — especially on a goalie tandem as skilled as Boston’s — is just as valued.

For Cassidy, Rask’s start on Tuesday was to “get him feeling good about his game on a regular basis,” standing as his second straight start after helping the B’s down the Sabres in overtime on Saturday.

And without question, the veteran netminder delivered outdoors — and then some.



Any issues regarding the outdoor conditions or Rask’s previous woes at the Winter Classic quickly went out in the window in South Bend, with the goalie turning aside 36 of the 38 shots that came his way in what was a 4-2 win for the Bruins.

“He played well,” Cassidy said of Rask. “Like I said before, we couldn’t go wrong. It’s an area of strength for us. We win either way, not the game necessarily, but who we put in. We always feel we’ve got a great chance. Tuukka has now strung a couple together, a couple solid wins. I think we were good in front of him in spots, other times, we weren’t.”

It’s hard to find Rask at fault on the Hawks’ opening tally from Brendan Perlini at 8:30 in first — with the forward camped out in front of Boston’s net with a clear shooting lane after a brutal D zone turnover by David Krejci.

I mean, c’mon now.




But as the game progressed, Rask stood tall against some quality looks — highlighted by a breakaway chance by
Patrick Kane
that was negated when his shot was turned aside with a pad save.




On a second period that saw Chicago hold a 24-10 edge in attempts and 8-3 advantage high-danger scoring chances during 5v5 play, Rask was only done in by a deflection in front, with a redirect by
Dominik Kahun
knocking the puck through the five hole to close out the scoring for the Blackhawks on the afternoon.


While Chicago continued to generate good looks around the net, it was smooth sailing for Rask — who stymied six shots on the Chicago power play and denied Kane once again in the closing minutes of regulation to seal the 4-2 victory.




“That’s the Tooks we want to see on a nightly basis and he does it on the big stage,”
Torey Krug
said. “I was just saying before, his career stats speak for themselves. In order for us to win a lot of hockey games and bigger hockey games going into playoffs and things like that, we are going to need a guy like him to step up and play good. Hopefully, it is the start of something."






"It is a special stage, but I think for me, you always try to approach the game like any other game,” Rask said. “I don't think in the standings it is anything special, but that's my third (Winter Classic) game that I got to be a part of and the second I played in. It's nice to get the win, too.
I think these are the experiences when you are done with your hockey career, you will look back and be happy you were a part of and cherish those moments. I'm very, very fortunate and I appreciate that I can be a part of three of these games."




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