Whatever career and/or medical decisions he makes in the days and weeks to come, Tuukka Rask is going to be remembered as one of the best goaltenders in Boston Bruins history.
Too soon? Probably. It’s not just that the Bruins were dismissed from the second round of the Stanley Cup playoffs by the New York Islanders, but that it was a series that started off even and hard-fought and then morphed into a next-round limbering-up exercise for the Isles. Because of that, it may take a while for Bruins fans to show much interest in testimonials directed at this or that player.
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But the Tuukka Rask case is different — compelling, even. Talking about Rask is like talking about politics, and surely you know where I’m taking this: Everyone has an opinion. And everyone who has an opinion about Rask will tell you that the other person’s opinion is, to put it nicely, balderdash.
Rask’s contract is set to expire. There’s no guarantee that he returns to the Bruins next season, especially with Jeremy Swayman having emerged as a potential replacement.
He has won more Stanley Cup playoff games than any goaltender in Bruins history, as Rask surpassed Hall of Famer Gerry Cheevers during the B’s first-round victory over the Washington Capitals. Rask, 34, also has won a Vezina Trophy (2013-14), joining Tim Thomas (’08-09, ’10-11) and Pete Peeters (’82-83) as the only Bruins in the modern era to be so honored.
Why, then, is Rask such a lightning rod? Here are a few observations:
• He hasn’t delivered a Stanley Cup. This is the Kenner’s Easy Bake Oven in any discussion about Rask. He was twice the Bruins’ starting goaltender in the Stanley Cup Final — against the Chicago Blackhawks in 2013 and against the St. Louis Blues in 2019, and Boston came up short in both cases.
• He replaced Tim Thomas, whose four rounds of netminding in leading the Bruins to a Cup victory in 2011 will never, ever be forgotten by anyone who was around at the time. By way of example, when I even think of Thomas I’m compelled to fire up YouTube and watch his stick save off Tampa Bay’s Steve Downie in Game 5 of the 2011 Eastern Conference Finals.
• Not only did he not deliver a Stanley Cup, but Rask has been a professional athlete in Boston during the first two decades of the 21st century. Let’s all say it together: The Patriots, Red Sox, Bruins and Celtics have combined to win 12 championships this century. That’s not just historic. That’s sick. We’ve also had several editions of Boston pro sports teams that had a shot at winning a championship but then didn’t deliver the goods, and when that happens, and in accordance with local tradition, there must be a blame pie. Such as when Bill Belichick allowed Malcolm Butler to gather dust during Super Bowl LII against the Eagles. Such as Rask in the Cup final. Twice.
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• Rask sometimes says things that inspire you to say, “Wait, what did he just say?” A recent example: Rask speaking cryptically about the state of his health during an interview on WEEI’s “Greg Hill Show” while the Bruins were still active in the playoffs. (Try to imagine how the aforementioned Belichick would react if one of his players said something like that on morning drive.) And then there were Rask’s comments following the Bruins’ 3-2 loss to Carolina in the opening round of last summer’s pandemic-driven, hermetically-sealed Stanley Cup playoff tournament. “Considering I had four months off … I’m not in prime shape,” he said. “But I’m trying to get there.” Rask also said, “I’m just trying to have fun and play the game. I’m not stressing too much about the results and whatnot. You know, it’s August and I haven’t played hockey. So just go out there and have fun, and see what happens for me.” To his detractors, Rask came across sounding like he was playing in the Monday night pick-up league at the Troubh Ice Arena up in Portland.
• Prior to Game 3 of that Cup series against Carolina, Rask announced he was opting out of the remainder of the postseason. “I want to be with my team competing, but at this moment there are things more important than hockey in my life, and that is being with my family,” he said. To be very clear about this, I had zero problems with Rask opting out. I came into these created-on-the-fly bubble tournaments (as well as the 2020 MLB and NFL regular seasons) with the attitude that players should be supported for opting out. No questions asked. But there were those who believed the athletes should put team over self, or something like that. If you were in that camp, you weren’t happy when Rask went home.
No disrespect to anyone who has tended goal for the Bruins over the past 25 or so years, but Tuukka Rask has performed better during his time in Boston than Bill Ranford, Blaine Lacher, Byron Dafoe and so many others. He was not better than Tim Thomas. He won a Vezina, but not a Stanley Cup. He won more postseason games than Cheevers, but, well, again: Cheevers and his pal Eddie Johnston led the Bruins to two Cups.
That’s the Tuukka Rask record. It’s very good. It’s also flawed. He’ll be very appreciated when his career is over, and cheered mightily if the day comes when Rick Middleton can get him signed up to the Boston Bruins Alumni Team.
For now, though, it’s … complicated.
(Photo of Rask: Bruce Bennett / Getty Images)
