Bruins’ 3 stars of the week: Once again, it’s Tuukka time
As long as Rask stays healthy, the Bruins will have a chance to win on a nightly basis
COMMENTARY
As the season progresses, it’s clear that the Bruins will be riding the first star on this week’s list. That along with an improving blue-line and a player that’s on pace for a career year highlight the latest edition of the Weekly 3 Stars.
Tuukka Rask
As long as Rask stays healthy, the Bruins will have a chance to win on a nightly basis. Last week’s performance proved just how important Rask is to this year’s team.
After going 4-0-0 last week during a busy five-game-in-seven-day stretch, the NHL named Rask as its top star of the week. Along with his perfect record, Rask recorded a pair of shutouts, a 0.75 goals against average and .970 save percentage to cap off the best start of his career.
Just how historic is Rask’s start? After the 2-0 win over the Avalanche, Rask joined Gerry Cheevers in elite company by winning 10 of his first 11 games to start a season. He also surpassed former teammate Tim Thomas for third place on the Bruins’ all-time shutout list following the 4-0 victory over the Sabres to start the week.
In the two games this week, Rask picked up right where he left off. Despite the 1-0 loss to the Wild, the 2014 Vezina Trophy recipient made some clutch stops to give the Black and Gold a chance. Two nights later, the Bruins defense (see below) gave him a lighter workload as he only saw 12 shots in the 4-1 win over the Jets.
Having won 11 of his 13 starts, Rask is on pace to be considered a Vezina finalist again. Whether he can surpass Carey Price or not is anyone’s guess, but as long as Rask is between the pipes the Bruins will always have a chance.
Bruins defense
Yes, the Bruins defense is going to be a work in progress all year long. But it is definitely worth noting that the blue-line is performing quite well over the last couple of weeks.
From limiting second and third scoring chances when defending their own end to transitioning the puck quickly up ice and chipping in offensively, the Bruins defensemen have become more active in all three zones.
Since their 5-2 loss to the Rangers on November 5th where they allowed a pair of shorthanded goals, the Bruins have held their opponents seven goals over their last seven games. In three instances, including Saturday’s win over the Jets the B’s held the opposition to 20 or fewer shots on goal and they spent more time moving the puck instead of defending for extended periods of time.
“I think we are taking a lot of pride in defending well,” head coach Claude Julien said about the defense following Saturday’s win over Winnipeg. “I think it’s been somehow it seems to be a pretty good buy-in right now, and that’s allowing us to win hockey games.”
David Pastrnak
Although he missed the last two games with an upper body injury, third-year forward David Pastrnak is on pace for a career season.
Like Rask, Pastrnak entered historic territory last week when he scored his 10th goal in his 12th game of the season. The 20-year-old became the first Bruin to accomplish that feat since team President Cam Neely performed at that pace during the 1995 lockout-shortened season.
Creating offense has always been Pastrnak’s strength. This year he has taken his game to a new level. Not only is he making things happen with his hard shot and crisp passes, but he is finding time and space without the puck to position himself for quality scoring chances. Though his defensive game will always need improvement, he is holding his own on the other end of the ice as well and not dwelling over any turnover he commits.
For all the criticism that Julien has received in the past over his handling of young players, Pastrnak is proof that success pays off when following his system. As a result he is getting marquee minutes on the Bruins’ top trio with Brad Marchand and Patrice Bergeron and it’s hard to see him playing on any other line at this rate.
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