I don’t get involved in political banter. As some would say, I “stick to sports.” And I’m perfectly fine with that.
But for the last couple years, the Tuukka Rask debate has reached an American-politics level of absurdity. From the Rask haters who claim he can’t steal a big game, to the supporters who tell you he should never be criticized, the truth with the Boston Bruins’ No. 1 goaltender lies somewhere in the middle.
The chest pounding and stubbornness from both sides has been so obnoxious, I’ve reached an American-politics level of interest; I no longer get involved.
In the past, I’ve defended Rask a whole lot more than I’ve crushed him. So I’ve sided with his supporters more often than not. But at the same time, let’s not act like he’s set the world on fire in his 10 full seasons in the NHL, all with the Bruins.
As much as I’ve claimed he’s been an easy target during any point in which the Bruins have struggled or been eliminated from the playoffs, Rask is entering a point in his career that comes with a ticking clock and an increasingly restless audience.
Quite frankly, for Rask, the time is now.
And he’s had an interesting season, which began with a leave of absence for personal reasons, and concluded with him becoming the winningest goaltender in Bruins history. Rask finished the season with a 27-13-5 record, a 2.48 goals against average, and a .912 save percentage.
Now, the B’s enter the Stanley Cup playoffs as the No. 2 seed in the Atlantic division, taking on the No. 3 seed Toronto Maple Leafs in the first round. The winner of that series will play the winner of the first-round series between the Tampa Bay Lightning and Columbus Blue Jackets.
Last year, the Bruins defeated the Maple Leafs in the first round and then lost to the Lightning in the second round. This year, they’ll have to trek down a similar path, and it will most likely come down to Rask when it’s all said and done. Because if they can get past Toronto again, it won’t be any easier against Tampa Bay this time around, against a Lightning team that won the Presidents’ Trophy with 62 wins and 128 points.
Tampa Bay also led the NHL this season with 3.89 goals per game, which will put all eyes on the opposing goaltender in the playoffs. In this case, in the second round, it would be Rask.
I get it, you have to get past Toronto first. And the Lightning have to get past Columbus. But for the sake of argument and probable outcomes, if Rask is ever going to silence the critics, now is the time to step up and be the difference maker against a Tampa Bay team that’s been nearly unstoppable all year long.
Now is the time for Rask to make a run. He turned 32 in March. He has two years left on his deal after this season. His time to acquire that trump card in Boston is running out.
Right now, Rask’s career isn’t anywhere close to as bad as his critics will claim. But it also lacks the top prize that would give his supporters a much better argument. The truth with Rask lies somewhere in the middle.
A Stanley Cup would change that.
Listen to “The Danny Picard Show” on PodcastOne, iTunes, and Spotify. Follow him on Twitter @DannyPicard. Subscribe to YouTube.com/DannyPicard.
