Tuukka Rask steps up for big win over Preds
March 29, 2017, 2:33 AM ET [40 Comments]
Ty Anderson
Boston Bruins Blogger • RSS • Archive • CONTACT
Bruins interim head coach Bruce Cassidy was not afraid to demand a better compete and effort from his No. 1 goaltender last week.
And based on Tuesday’s results, maybe he should do it more often.
The message undoubtedly got through to the 30-year-old Rask, as he delivered a sensational outing that helped propel the Bruins to a 4-1 home victory over the Predators, with 24 stops on 25 shots against.
The bounceback did not go unnoticed by the B’s bench boss, either.
“I loved it,” Cassidy said of Rask’s game. “He really worked hard to find pucks in traffic, they created some good opportunities, and even the goal against, he found it. They just tipped it at eye level, so it was going to be a tough one, and we need to be better in the shooting lane on that one. But I thought he was terrific. Very pleased with his performance.”
The Bruins spotted Rask a two-goal edge through 20 minutes, but given the trouble the Bruins had with leads in Rask’s last start, there was no way that you were going to find comfort without No. 40 stepping up to the plate and shutting the door for the full 60.
He did that in a second period that saw the Predators pepper Rask for nine shots against (while allowing just five at the other end of the ice), helped cool a Nashville power play that entered action with goals on five of their last 25 opportunities to an 0-for-3 finish on the night. His best save of the period came with a denial on the Preds’ Viktor Arvidsson where Rask stayed with the shooter with the patience and poise that made him a Vezina favorite in the first three months of the season.
“Well that was the one he had the most time, you know, he had time to take a look but there was a couple,” Rask said of the Arvidsson stop. “There was that one deflection right in front, he got the rebound and I didn’t see where the puck was. There was a couple tips and stuff, but that was the one maybe that stands out for people because he had so much time.”
Rask carried that over into the second period, too, as he stopped all but one of Nashville’s 10 shots in the final frame (a perfect tip-in putaway from Craig Smith in front of Rask) and finished the night as the game’s winning goalie and the No. 1 star.
“I think he did,” Cassidy said when asked if Rask upped his compete when the Preds cranked up the heat later in the game. “I think there was a lot of traffic, there were a lot of plays behind the goal line where you’re going post-to-post. That’s where it gets a little more strenuous, your game, as opposed to just having great technique. If you’ve got to track pucks, you’ve got to find pucks, you’ve got to fight through bodies, and he did a real good job with it.”
This was one of those areas that you wanted to see Rask rebound in, as there were few ‘leaky’ pucks around him, even with the breakdowns that happened in front of him at times against a Preds group that loves to create those kinds of chances.
“I thought we played well in front of him, but like I said, when we broke down, it seemed to be in those areas where we couldn’t break the puck up below our goal line, and a lot of bodies going on, a lot of point shots too,” Cassidy continued. “And this is the type of team, [Ryan] Ellis, [P.K.] Subban, [Roman] Josi, they rely on that part of the game and traffic. It was going to be a test for them there. I thought he answered the bell, and in a terrific manner.”
It’s also no secret that nearly a week of rest had to help Rask, too, in what was his 60th start of the season. (Even before tonight Rask was straight-up lethal on more than three days rest this year, with nine wins and a .931 save percentage in 13 games.)
Oh, and there’s also the whole snapping the crunch-time losing streak narrative that Rask has been saddled with in recent days.
“Personally, I mean, I’ve lost four games but played a couple good games there and we just didn’t get the bounces,” Rask said after the victory, refusing to take the bait. “But, you know, we kind of got in winning habits there in Long Island and me stepping in there, I just wanted to make sure that I gave us a chance to win and the guys did the rest. So, it was a great team effort today.”
One that may have started with last week’s callout from the coach.
And, y’know, a rest the overworked goalie sorely needed.
Today at 5:12 am by Rocky
» Oil is preparing to export gas oil after achieving self-sufficiency
Today at 5:11 am by Rocky
» Trade is preparing to hold a number of specialized exhibitions in Baghdad and the provinces
Today at 5:09 am by Rocky
» Erdogan: Our goal is to raise the volume of trade with Iraq to more than 20 billion dollars
Today at 5:08 am by Rocky
» Al-Sudani confirms Iraq's openness to fruitful partnerships with French companies
Today at 5:07 am by Rocky
» Determining the launch date for the activities of the 48th session of the Baghdad International Fair
Today at 5:06 am by Rocky
» Al-Sudani receives a delegation from the Union of Arab Banks
Today at 5:05 am by Rocky
» utube 5/3/24 MM&C Iraq Dinar Update - Expectation - Implementation - Activation - New Exchange Rat
Yesterday at 8:30 am by Rocky
» utube 5/4/24 MM&C Iraq Dinar- IQD Update - No Float of Exchange Rate - Budget -2024 - Schedules -
Yesterday at 8:29 am by Rocky
» “Services” asks the Central Bank about billions of foreign banks in Iraq
Yesterday at 8:27 am by Rocky
» Central Bank: Iraqi banks still face challenges in complying with international laws and standards
Yesterday at 8:24 am by Rocky
» Parliamentary bloc: The Central Bank offers hard currency to “mafias” on a golden platter.. The Suda
Yesterday at 8:20 am by Rocky
» The Iraqi Central Auction witnesses a rise in foreign remittances to $267 million
Yesterday at 8:19 am by Rocky
» Wednesday.. The session to elect the President of the Iraqi Parliament is heading towards “Al-Issawi
Yesterday at 8:14 am by Rocky
» The Union of Arab Banks proposes 4 “important” points for Iraqi banks to meet compliance standards
Yesterday at 8:12 am by Rocky
» In the document... the Central Bank decides to return the “Al-Mal” Bank to work... in this case
Yesterday at 8:08 am by Rocky
» The Iraqi-American agreements and cooperation were the most prominent topics of Al-Araji and Romanow
Yesterday at 8:06 am by Rocky
» Al-Hakim meets a joint delegation of resolve and sovereignty and renews the call to hold a session t
Yesterday at 8:05 am by Rocky
» Nearly one billion dinars were recovered and 3 million liters of fuel intended for smuggling in Iraq
Yesterday at 8:03 am by Rocky
» Al-Sudani and the European Union ambassador discuss issues of economic partnerships, civil aviation,
Yesterday at 7:59 am by Rocky
» More than 950 million dinars... petroleum products announced their recovery
Yesterday at 7:57 am by Rocky
» Forming a committee to follow up on stopping the sale of the dollar to travelers
Yesterday at 7:54 am by Rocky
» The Minister of Justice visits Al-Muthanna Governorate to discuss mechanisms for developing judicial
Yesterday at 7:52 am by Rocky
» Agriculture: Farmers who were affected by the recent rains will be compensated
Yesterday at 7:51 am by Rocky
» Al-Rasheed issues a warning regarding applying for advances and loans
Yesterday at 7:49 am by Rocky
» Al-Rafidain announces the implementation of the comprehensive banking system in its main branch
Yesterday at 6:24 am by Rocky
» Al-Rasheed warns of offices and pages claiming to promote the Salaf
Yesterday at 6:22 am by Rocky
» Adviser to the Prime Minister: There are no conflicts in the route of the Baghdad Metro
Yesterday at 6:19 am by Rocky
» Al-Sudani: We are keen to develop the work of the TBI Bank and address the problems it faces
Yesterday at 6:18 am by Rocky
» Agriculture explains the mechanism of implementing the calendar program and its economic gains
Yesterday at 6:17 am by Rocky
» “The shocks have changed.” The Governor of the Central Bank explains the impact of the openness of I
Yesterday at 6:16 am by Rocky
» The President of the Association of Private Banks sends an “important” invitation to the Central Ban
Yesterday at 6:15 am by Rocky
» Al-Alaq: The Iraqi banking sector has witnessed significant qualitative developments in response to
Yesterday at 6:12 am by Rocky
» On behalf of Al-Sudani, the Minister of Planning sponsors the signing ceremony of a memorandum of un
Yesterday at 6:11 am by Rocky
» The Iraqi Travel Companies Association participates in the Arab Travel Market Exhibition
Yesterday at 6:10 am by Rocky
» The start of the work of the Iraqi-Jordanian Economic Forum
Yesterday at 6:07 am by Rocky
» Integrity Commission at the Arab Anti-Corruption Convention Conference
Yesterday at 6:06 am by Rocky
» Election of the Speaker of Parliament between amendment and disruption
Yesterday at 6:05 am by Rocky
» Plans to increase the real estate bank's capital
Yesterday at 6:03 am by Rocky
» The Central Bank sells more than $276 million in the currency auction
Yesterday at 6:02 am by Rocky
» Advisor to the Prime Minister: We are heading towards a complete transformation of the electronic pa
Yesterday at 6:01 am by Rocky
» Savings and financial inclusion
Yesterday at 6:00 am by Rocky
» Agriculture expects to market 6 million tons of wheat
Yesterday at 5:58 am by Rocky
» Al-Sudani chairs the first meeting of the Supreme Committee for Restructuring the Government Apparat
Yesterday at 5:57 am by Rocky
» Al-Sudani receives an official invitation to participate in the United Nations Climate Change Confer
Yesterday at 5:55 am by Rocky
» "Baghdad Today" in the southern refineries: The Azmara unit will reduce imported gasoline and hard c
Yesterday at 5:54 am by Rocky
» Al-Sudani stresses the importance of supporting the pillars of food security
Yesterday at 5:51 am by Rocky
» Kurdistan is an important oasis for investment. Security and economic stability eliminates the housi
Yesterday at 5:50 am by Rocky
» Politician: Comparing Al-Halbousi to Al-Maliki is not up for discussion
Yesterday at 5:46 am by Rocky
» The Kurdistan Democratic Party demands international supervision of the region's elections
Yesterday at 5:45 am by Rocky
» Al-Sudani heads to Italy next week on an official visit
Yesterday at 5:44 am by Rocky
» Warnings of challenges delaying budget approval, most notably the deficit
Yesterday at 5:43 am by Rocky
» The Ministry of Oil sets the launch date for the fifth and sixth licensing rounds
Yesterday at 5:41 am by Rocky
» Rafidain Bank announces the implementation of the comprehensive banking system in its main branch
Yesterday at 5:40 am by Rocky
» Central Bank Governor: The banking sector is witnessing major qualitative developments
Yesterday at 5:39 am by Rocky
» Economic: Neighboring countries do not import from Iraq for fear of fraud
Sun May 05, 2024 11:43 am by Rocky
» The Central Bank of Iraq sells more than $276 million in currency auction
Sun May 05, 2024 10:16 am by Rocky
» Agreement on the presidency of Parliament: Did Al-Halbousi win?
Sun May 05, 2024 8:09 am by Rocky
» Because of his corruption... Al-Karawi calls for Al-Halbousi to be held accountable
Sun May 05, 2024 8:08 am by Rocky
» Al-Shammari: The American presence in Iraq has no legal cover
Sun May 05, 2024 8:06 am by Rocky
» A story titled: Al-Fartusi, the Iraqi ports, and the 160 Committee
Sun May 05, 2024 8:04 am by Rocky
» The Minister of Finance of the Kurdistan Region expects the date of Baghdad’s sending of salaries fo
Sun May 05, 2024 8:03 am by Rocky
» What is the importance of conducting a pilot population census in Iraq?
Sun May 05, 2024 8:01 am by Rocky
» The start of the meetings of the sixth session of the joint Iraqi-Iranian committee in Tehran
Sun May 05, 2024 7:58 am by Rocky
» The budget schedules did not reach the Council of Ministers
Sun May 05, 2024 7:54 am by Rocky
» The Minister of Planning directs the installation and operation of gold screening units at Iraqi air
Sun May 05, 2024 7:52 am by Rocky
» Government advisor: Collections will shift almost completely to electronic payment in the middle of
Sun May 05, 2024 7:51 am by Rocky
» A politician accuses the American embassy of attracting parties inside Iraq to confuse the situation
Sun May 05, 2024 6:07 am by Rocky
» Deputy: The anti-prostitution law blocks the way for destructive ideas
Sun May 05, 2024 6:06 am by Rocky
» State of Law: A political agreement to resolve the position of Speaker of Parliament...these are its
Sun May 05, 2024 6:05 am by Rocky
» Kurdistan Parliament elections.. The insistence of the two parties intensifies and an international
Sun May 05, 2024 6:04 am by Rocky
» Jordan considers Iraq one of its "most important" main partners in the investment field
Sun May 05, 2024 6:02 am by Rocky
» Advisor to the Prime Minister: Iraq is a fertile environment for projects, and there is an expansion
Sun May 05, 2024 6:01 am by Rocky
» Parliament is close to approving the renewable energy project law
Sun May 05, 2024 6:00 am by Rocky
» The delay surrounds five Iraqi ministries.. What is the relationship with the budget?
Sun May 05, 2024 5:58 am by Rocky
» Basra Council threatens: We will not accept unreliable companies to work in Qurna service projects
Sun May 05, 2024 5:57 am by Rocky
» Iraq intends to convert collections to electronic payment in mid-2024
Sun May 05, 2024 5:54 am by Rocky
» Parliamentary Committee: 5 ministries whose completion rates are “low”
Sun May 05, 2024 5:53 am by Rocky
» Completion of the five-year national development plan 2024-2028
Sun May 05, 2024 5:51 am by Rocky
» Investment opportunities in the ancient city of Ur
Sun May 05, 2024 5:50 am by Rocky
» Today.. Baghdad hosts leading scientists and researchers in the field of artificial intelligence
Sun May 05, 2024 5:49 am by Rocky
» Conditions and horrors
Sun May 05, 2024 5:47 am by Rocky
» Democratic conditions threaten Kurdistan elections and embarrass the Commission
Sun May 05, 2024 5:46 am by Rocky
» “Consensus” disrupts laws in parliamentary culture
Sun May 05, 2024 5:44 am by Rocky
» Iraq celebrates “World Press Freedom Day”
Sun May 05, 2024 5:43 am by Rocky
» Including Iraq... five countries possess more than 1,000 tons of gold
Sun May 05, 2024 5:41 am by Rocky
» Davos is between two stations, is Iraq the third?
Sun May 05, 2024 5:40 am by Rocky
» Specialists: The food basket was a buffer to mitigate the blow of high prices
Sun May 05, 2024 5:39 am by Rocky
» Al-Rafidain Bank announces the implementation of the comprehensive banking system in its Hindi branc
Sun May 05, 2024 5:34 am by Rocky
» Learn about the proposed law replacing punishment with financial sums
Sun May 05, 2024 5:33 am by Rocky
» With the beginning of summer... poor services and a spiral of crises afflict the citizens of Kurdist
Sun May 05, 2024 5:30 am by Rocky
» A new scandal involving one of the “ten promising companies in Basra”... the Iraqi Plain strikes con
Sun May 05, 2024 5:29 am by Rocky
» With a package of files... Barzani to Tehran and Talabani to Washington next week
Sun May 05, 2024 5:28 am by Rocky
» An expert reveals the size of the "gas gap" in Iraq: Achieving sufficiency within 3 years is very di
Sun May 05, 2024 5:25 am by Rocky
» To reach an agreement on 10 memorandums...the start of the meetings of the sixth session of the Iraq
Sun May 05, 2024 5:24 am by Rocky
» The dollar is declining slightly against the Iraqi dinar in local markets
Sun May 05, 2024 5:22 am by Rocky
» Deputy: 4 factors hinder Iraqi development.. one of them is a 90% reduction - urgent
Sun May 05, 2024 5:21 am by Rocky
» Revealing the reason for its delay.. Elekti sets the date for sending the salaries of Kurdistan Regi
Sun May 05, 2024 5:19 am by Rocky
» The Iraqi development road project, ambitions and expected challenges
Sun May 05, 2024 5:18 am by Rocky