Tuukka Rask

A deeper look inside the Boston Bruins’ eight-game winning streak

Statistically speaking, the Boston Bruins are not the best team in the NHL. Despite being the team that has scored the third highest amount of goals (64), has the second least amount of goals allowed (39) and has the highest goal differential of any team in the league (+25), the Bruins aren’t even in the top ten.

Blame it on their 3-7 start; a product of a lazy hockey when the team got a bit too comfortable after their summer with the Cup, showing little signs of passion and not playing effectively for the full 60 minutes. Eight straight wins later, good enough for an undefeated November, and the Bruins have turned things around in a big, bad way.

No goal support is nothing new for Bruins’ Tuukka Rask

By all accounts, Tuukka Rask is a solid goaltender. – – The Finnish netminder is in his third year as an active member of the Boston Bruins roster and has a career goals-against-average of 2.26 in 81 games-played. In his 2009-10 rookie season, Rask put up strong numbers, posting a 22-12-5 record with five shutouts and a 1.97 G.A.A.. Rask could have very well been a starting goaltender for a team not equipped with a two-time Vezina trophy winner like Tim Thomas at the helm. However since his rookie season, his numbers have slipped.

Last season, Rask finished with a 2.67 G.A.A. and an 11-14-2 record with two shutouts. In the two games he’s started this season, Rask is winless with two losses and a 2.52 G.A.A..

But, this isn’t the problem.