It’s a regular offseason practice that 30 of 31 NHL teams go through every single summer — some more so than others.
The dreaded ‘what if’ mental exercise.
For as much as seasons and promising playoff runs are often undone by way of X’s and O’s or a gap in talent between competing rosters, there are many instances in which a split-second decision, bad break or pivotal lineup switch could have stood as the difference in the fortune of one club.
Much to their chagrin, the Bruins have found themselves in such a spot over the last few seasons.
What if Brad Marchand didn’t make that fateful line change in Game 7?
What if COVID-19 didn’t halt Boston’s 2020 campaign?
And while the potential of a different outcome against the Islanders in the second round seemed likely had Boston’s D corps been bolstered by both Brandon Carlo and Kevan Miller, perhaps the most polarizing second-guess from the B’s disappointing 2021 postseason exit came between the pipes — with Bruce Cassidy’s decision to stick with an injured Tuukka Rask catching plenty of flak.
While both Cassidy and Rask were awfully transparent throughout the postseason when it came to acknowledging that the B’s top netminder was not at 100 percent, many didn’t expect the extent of Rask’s injuries to be as severe as they were — with a labral tear in his hip expected to keep him off the ice for at least five to six months.
For some, the decision to not turn to Jeremy Swayman at some point in the Islanders series — particularly after Rask was pulled in Game 5 due to a flare-up — was a major oversight by Boston’s bench boss, with an inexperienced rookie still offering more of a sure bet than a veteran goalie in Rask that was clearly hampered by more than just the usual bumps and bruise sustained during the grind of an NHL season.
But speaking on Monday morning, Cassidy defended his decision to stick with Rask in the series — noting that the call to keep him in net was a collaborative decision and one that still offered Boston the best chance to win against New York.
“Obviously, Tuukka acknowledged that he was playing hurt. And he met with us every day — medical staff, myself, goalie (coach) Bob (Essensa), to go through his status — particularly in the playoffs,” Cassidy said. “This was an injury that occurred, he played Game 1 with it against Washington right through to Game 6 in New York. So it was the same injury. ... We just got different results in the second round. … We were never going to run out a player that wasn't fit to play.
"He regularly told us he was ready to go. The Incident in Game 5 after the second period, I thought he didn't look as sharp, Goalie Bob talked to him. He said he was lacking some energy. So we said ‘Well, we'll go with Swayman in the third.’ And then we’ll sort it out in Game 6 and again he came back the next day, said he was feeling better. ... So then it comes to me, I have to make the final call — who gives us the best chance to win. I chose Tuukka — so no regrets on that.
“We felt he gave us the best chance to win. It didn't work out that way. And then some of those decisions also go through the leadership group: ‘Where are you guys in terms of your mental psyche with the goaltending?’ and they were all on board with Tuukka as well. They certainly believe in Swayman. But Tuukka's has been there and done it. So that's where that decision came from. And at the end of the day, it didn't work out. You’re always going to analyze some things after the series, but that’s when we felt he gave us the best chance to win. That was the decision, he was healthy to play. Had played, played well. That was that."
Cassidy’s defense of Rask’s play in the early portion of the postseason — in which he still shut down a high-powered Caps offense with a torn-up hip — certainly holds plenty of validity. And for as tempting as it can be to harken back to Jordan Binnington and other unproven netminders that run with the opportunity presented to them and rewarded their club with a Cup, I’ll harken back to what I wrote in the immediate aftermath of Boston’s season-ending loss.
Yes, Binnington was magnificent in 2019, but he also had big bodies in Alex Pietrangelo, Colton Parayko, Jay Bouwmeester and Joel Edmundson serving as the next line of defense in front of him.
In front of either Rask or Swayman — Boston had to roll with Charlie McAvoy, a pair of puck-moving options in Mike Reilly and Matt Grzelcyk and … well, it gets kind of worse as it goes along. Simply put, whichever option Cassidy went with in Game 6, they were going to get fed to the wolves with its D corps in the state it was in.
“You start factoring in performances — does the other guy give you a better chance to win? As I said, we felt Tuukka's performance, other than Game 5, was very good,” Cassidy said. “And it's perfectly normal for a goalie to have an off night. … So we clarified that the next day, he was ready to go and fit. So we stuck with him. Then you go, 'Okay, well, should we put the other guy in? Is it time then to give him a break or does the other guy give us the best chance to win? The other guy being Swayman as backup.
"And we just felt that, No, that wouldn't be the case. … The farther you go, especially for a younger guy that's not really been in that position that much, is that the best spot to put him in? Obviously, if Tuukka couldn't go, that would have been the decision — it was easy for us because he was the next guy up. He had been preparing to go in if something should happen. But Tuukka was fit to go. So it did factor in a little bit. But at the end of the day, it was more about Tuukka, less about Swayman.”
Of course, while Swayman was only called upon for one period and three total shots against during this playoff push, it seems like a given that the 22-year-old netminder is in line for plenty more reps in 2021-22 — especially with Rask’s surgery and looming free agency.
As such, Cassidy is going to have his hands full in the coming months when it comes to sorting through his goalie corps and being put in the unenviable position of slotting the right man in place for the most important position in hockey.
Those questions and second guesses loom on the horizon. But as for this previous season, Cassidy isn’t dwelling on his moves made in net.