Rask
Beyond the whole Phil Kessel storyline and the questions surrounding the first-round picks the Bruins received from Toronto for this and next summer, there’s one heck of a rivalry starting to build between Boston and Toronto.
And for years to come that rivalry might be centered around the two players that starred more than all others tonight at Air Canada Centre — young goaltenders Tuukka Rask for Boston and Jonas Gustavsson for Toronto. (more…)
Rask gets his Seventh Player Award.
BOSTON — There’s always a debate among Bruins fans leading up to the announcement of the Seventh Player Award winner about who is most deserving.
Fans vote for the player they deem to have exceeded expectations over the course of the season, and they take pride in making an appropriate selection. Before the name of this year’s winner even left the lips of ceremony emcee Jack Edwards prior to Thursday night’s game at TD Garden, it was obvious the majority of the 17,565 on hand had their preference.
First came the “Toook” chant from the fans. Then Edwards revealed the winner, and the rookie goaltender — once projected as Boston’s No. 2 behind incumbent Tim Thomas — skated to the Zamboni entrance to receive his award.
Thomas
BOSTON — Stop me if you’ve heard this one before.
Tim Thomas gets a start. Tim Thomas plays great. Tim Thomas gets a second straight start and plays so poorly he gets the hook.
A chart of Thomas’ play this season would look a lot like a drawing of the Rocky Mountains at this stage of the season, and he hit a new low against Buffalo tonight with three goals allowed on 14 shots at TD Garden. (more…)
Rask
Just call it a Rask repeat. It sure has a nice ring.
For the second straight week, Tuukka Rask is my Bruin of the Week. The rookie went 2-0-1, including a shootout win over Minnesota, in his three starts for Boston. (more…)
Rask
The battle for my Bruin of the Week award was a two-horse race this week, but in the end Tuukka Rask’s heroics in goal were too great to pass up. (more…)
Rask
BOSTON — Bruins goaltender Tuukka Rask today signed a two-year contract extension. The 22-year-old would have been a restricted free agent after the season.
“We liked what we saw in each of the camps. We saw progression in his training camps,” said general manager Peter Chiarelli, who said talks with Rask’s camp opened up during training camp. “We saw progression in the American Hockey League. And it was enough for us to decide to come to a deal.”
For more, log on to ESPNBoston.com.
Rask
Boston Bruins head coach Claude Julien revealed to us today in between on-ice split-squad activities that he intends to start Tuukka Rask tonight in New York and play the youngster for the full game against the Rangers. Dany Sabourin, who will dress as the back-up tonight, is scheduled to start and play the entire contest tomorrow at Toronto. (more…)
Rask
The Boston Bruins top prospect for a few years now, goaltender Tuukka Rask is expected to finally make good on that potential this season. The Bruins allowed Manny Fernandez to leave via free agency and only signed second-tier veteran Dany Sabourin as an insurance policy with the intention that Rask will become a full-time NHLer in 2009-10. (more…)
Rask
For those still processing the news from Boston Bruins general manager Peter Chiarelli that he expects veteran Dany Sabourin to provide competition for prospect Tuukka Rask in pursuit of the No. 2 goaltender spot behind Tim Thomas during this fall’s training camp, there’s the tale of Toronto “goaltender of the future” Justin Pogge, as related by Michael Traikos of the National Post today.
Pogge is now 23 and five years removed from his draft day, when he was initially branded with the above-mentioned moniker. And he seems off the path toward his goal of being the Leafs’ No. 1 puck-stopper. (more…)
Rask
He’d been shuttling back and forth between Boston and Providence (AHL) for three weeks while Manny Fernandez tried to get his back problems straightened out.
Then Jan. 31 with the New York Rangers in the Hub for a big matinee, Bruins prospect goaltender Tuukka Rask finally got his first start of the 2008-09 season. What ensued over the next 60 minutes ranks No. 10 on the list of the Bruins’ best victories of the regular season. (more…)
Rask
PROVIDENCE — Boston Bruins goaltender Tim Thomas is known as a guy who’s always cordial to his goaltending partners. And if a guy happens to be a young up-and-comer, Thomas isn’t above taking that kid under his wing.
That’s why Providence Bruins No. 1 netminder Tuukka Rask says he has nothing but well wishes for the Boston veteran after Thomas signed a four-year contract extension today.
“I think it’s good to have a guy there who’s your friend and you know him from before,” said the Bruins’ heir apparent after a 6-0 loss to Hartford tonight at Dunkin’ Donuts Center. “I expected him to sign and to see him sign and make the money he deserves (is great).”
A highly touted former first-round pick, Rask is finishing up his second full season of North American hockey. He’s gotten a taste here and there of the NHL, including this year’s preseason and one regular-season game (a shutout of the New York Rangers). Locking up a potential Vezina Trophy winner through the early part of next decade means the Bruins aren’t going to just hand the reins over to Rask any time soon. And he welcomes the challenge.
“The competition always gets harder when you go up to the NHL level. It’s not going to be easy on anybody,” said Rask. “Obviously you expect that the best goalie plays. Nobody just takes the starting job off Timmy, but you just try to work hard every day and push each other and be better in spots.”
Thomas
BOSTON — It takes Boston Bruins netminder Tim Thomas a little time to take the temperature of his goaltending-tandem partner to know when to back off and when to say something in order to get his fellow puck-stopper psyched or focused.
Thomas has known rookie Tuukka Rask since two summer ago when both were part of a camp with goaltending coach Bob Essensa. So Thomas is already able to get a vibe from the youngster filling in for Thomas’ usual partner in puck-stopping Manny Fernandez. That’s why the veteran stood back and let Rask do his own thing today leading up to and during a 1-0 shutout of the New York Rangers at TD Banknorth Garden.
“I actually stayed away from him; he seemed to be in the right state of mind and I didn’t want to get him to start thinking,” Thomas said after the game. “He didn’t seem to be over-thinking or overexcited or nervous. He seemed to be in the right place.
“You don’t want to overexcite him either. You don’t want him thinking this is the biggest game in the history of hockey because truthfully it’s not and you’ve just got to go out and approach it like any other game.”
While he never wants to miss a start, Thomas needed a night off after starting eight straight Bruins games plus playing a period and overtime of the All-Star Game. And he enjoyed watching the future of the Bruins’ goaltending situation perform in front of his eyes.
“It’s interesting to watch young kids play because I try to put myself in their shoes when I was their age,” Thomas said. “Although I didn’t develop as late as everybody seems to talk about, I don’t think I would’ve been able to play at this level at age 21.”
Rask
BOSTON — Friday after his off-ice workout and treatments, ailing Boston Bruins goaltender Manny Fernandez explained that there’s no rush for him to return because the team and fellow netminder Tim Thomas have played so well in his absence.
Well, now he knows there’s one more reason he can take his sweet time. It turns out Bruins super-prospect Tuukka Rask is the real deal. Allow me to overreact to Rask’s 35-save shutout over the New York Rangers today at TD Banknorth Garden and declare: “Rask is ready.”
After all, I’m not the only one convinced that the Bruins now go three goaltenders deep.
“Everyone in this room definitely had confidence in him. We’ve seen enough of Tuukka to know how good of a goalie he is,” rugged winger Shawn Thornton said after the Bruins’ 1-0 victory. “So there was no talk, obviously, before the game of let’s make it easy on him. We’ve got tons of confidence in anyone who’s in net, so he did a hell of a job tonight – just like he did last year, same thing.”
Center Marc Savard, who scored the game’s lone goal, echoed Thornton’s thoughts.
“We’re confident with whoever’s in there and tonight it was Tuukka,” he said. “Give the kid credit. He’s been waiting for his opportunity and he took advantage of it tonight. He’s an NHL goaltender, and we all know that. He’s going to get his time and right now he’s doing the job for us. (more…)
