BOSTON — Bruins coach Bruce Cassidy estimated that Tuukka Rask would need around eight games to regain his rhythm and return to normal. That might be a rocky trip with four more to go.
Rask has played four games after returning from offseason hip surgery, including Monday's 5-3 loss to Anaheim. He has a 2-2 record with a 3.87 GAA and an 84.4 save percentage. This contains one excellent game, one acceptable game, one poor game (Monday), and one dreadful game. If the next four games are anything like this, the Bruins might be in big trouble.
Due to a COVID-19 outbreak on the Providence Bruins' opponent, Rask's AHL tune-up games were cancelled. Instead, he made his debut in Boston, where he looked fantastic against the Flyers, establishing an unattainable benchmark for his early career. He was terrible in one session versus Carolina five days later before being withdrawn.
After settling down in Saturday's win against Winnipeg, he took a step back on Monday, allowing five goals. The Bruins' 18 skaters in front of him weren't very good, but it was a game that might have been won with a few more stops.
"He's not in the right place. We weren't sure if he'd be there. Cassidy stated, "I believe he needs seven or eight starts." "We didn't receive the outcome we hoped for." If we were going to win tonight, we needed a couple more saves. We'll have to judge him when he gets a few more starts.... He needs to comb through everything and work out the flaws in his game. "I'd want to be able to track pucks a bit better."
Rask believed that technical errors, rather than a lack of competence, were at least part of the problem.
"At times, I'm out of my depth." I'm too far into the fold. I'm squandering too much net. "I'm not tracking the puck as well as I should be," he said. "It'll happen," says the narrator. I'm going to have to go to work on it. I've made a few saves to demonstrate that it's still there, but I can't let in one or two terrible goals every game. Because the timetable is so demanding, there isn't much time for practice. With just a goalkeeper coach and a few of people, you can only do so much. Simulating a gaming setting is difficult."
The Bruins will then embark on a three-game road trip, with Rask likely to play in at least one of them, before hosting the expansion Seattle Kraken on Feb. 1. The Bruins will get to practise during a six-day break in early February.
If Rask is at or close to the high level he has performed at for the majority of his career by Game 9, it will have been well worth it. He still has a greater ceiling than Linus Ullmark or Jeremy Swayman. Nobody will remember this tough ramp-up if he's good and ready to start Game 1 in the playoffs for the Bruins.
The Bruins, meanwhile, would be the Eastern Conference's second wild card, the last club in, if the season ended Monday night. It's conceivable to catch the Maple Leafs for third place in the Atlantic Division or the Capitals for the first Wild Card slot. Boston, on the other hand, has a small margin for error. They mustn't be leaving points on the vine that they can earn.
Rask understands how important it is for him to build up quickly.
"The only way you'll be able to achieve it is if you play." We're in the middle of the season, and we can't afford to lose games. "Put me in there and tell me what's going on," Rask replied. "Every time I walk out there, I have to be sharp." It is my responsibility to locate it. It's not an easy task. But all I have to do now is work on it game in and game out to establish that consistency and help the team win."
Click here for more trending news
You can also follow us on our Facebook page
You can also follow us on our Twitter page