Coming into this season, the Boston Bruins had monster expectations. On some popular sports betting websites, they were actually tied with Pittsburgh for the highest odds of winning the Stanley Cup. Obviously that means nothing, but from the fans' perspective, excitement was (and still is) higher than it's been in a long time. The B's are 8-4-1 and are putting forth good efforts without some of their top players in the lineup. Would you have believed me, though, if I told you Tuukka Rask would be 0-4-1 and Tim Thomas would be 8-0-0 at this juncture? Misfortunes, misfortunes...
Thomas has been fabulous, even despite his recent decline on the stat sheet. He's still putting up solid numbers and, above all, getting wins. But Tuukka Rask, man -- we all expected him to compete for the Vezina this year, to start 50+ games and be the horse between the pipes for the Bruins. As he sits at 0-4-1 through his first 5 decisions, Rask needs to keep his confidence up. If you ask me, this is one of the best 5-game winless streaks I've seen a goaltender have.
Plain and simply, he doesn't deserve that 0-4-1 mark. He got a loss against Washington for giving up one third period goal after Tim Thomas spotted the Caps a 3-0 lead and was pulled. Misfortune. He made 34 stops in a 2-1 shootout loss to the St. Louis Blues last weekend. Misfortune. His team once again struggled offensively and he got the second game in a back-to-back last night as the Canadiens fired 41 shots on the youngster. He turned aside 38, but that's not enough when you only register one goal. Misfortune. There hasn't been a single easy game for Tuukka this season. Everything that could go wrong has gone wrong, and it's not really attributed to his performance in my eyes.
The Bruins have always prided themselves on their defense and goaltending, and having the duo that Boston has is a vital piece to their puzzle. Rask needs to make sure his confidence stays high and understand that Thomas will eventually hit a few bumps in the road. When those bumps come, it will be Tuukka time again. Let's not forget that this kid was, for all intents and purposes, a rookie last season. At just 23 years old, Rask has a long career ahead of him and still has plenty of learning to do. Keep your head up and keep working hard -- not that I doubt you will -- and you'll be just fine, Tuukka. And furthermore, so will the Bruins.
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