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Tuukka Rask: Sticking with Bruins’ goalie rotation ‘easier said than done’ in playoffs
"You want to ride the hot hand, right?"
Count former Bruins netminder Tuukka Rask among those curious to see Boston’s goalie rotation in action during the Stanley Cup Playoffs.
For the last few seasons, the Bruins have benefited from the luxury of having two proven goalies at the ready in Linus Ullmark and Jeremy Swayman.
A near 50/50 split in reps between both netminders under Jim Montgomery’s watch has allowed both goalies to remain fresh amid the grind of an 82-game gauntlet, while also fostering a competitive environment between the two close teammates.
Since the start of the 2022-23 season, Ullmark has appeared in 80 total games with the Bruins, while Swayman has logged 72 appearances.
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Back in November, Montgomery stressed that he had no qualms about carrying Boston’s goalie rotation into the playoffs this spring.
But as Rask noted on Tuesday evening, committing to such an even workload is easier to speak into existence in the fall — and a lot tougher to actually carry out under the bright lights of the postseason.
“Very curious,” Rask said of Boston’s goalie rotation holding its own in the playoffs. “I mean, I can’t see why it couldn’t work. It’s just easier said than done because going into the playoffs — you want to ride the hot hand, right?
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“But then you’ve had the rotation working for you for a year or two. So it’s a tough question. You’d like to have both goalies hot, and you can’t have both goalies cold. So it’s like — hey, I’m not making those decisions. Talk to Goalie Bob [Bruins goalie goalie Bob Essensa].”
Montgomery and the Bruins might be looking for a do-over after straying from the goalie script during last year’s crushing first-round exit at the hands of the Panthers.
After carving out even reps down the final stretch of the regular season, Ullmark earned the first six starts of Boston’s opening playoff bout against Florida.
By the time Boston reached a do-or-die Game 7, the weight of a crushing first-round exit fell on the shoulders of Swayman — who went over two weeks between starts.
With trade rumors swirling around Ullmark before Friday’s 3 p.m. trade deadline, it remains to be seen if Boston’s goalie rotation will even remain in place by the time the playoffs arrive.
But with Boston currently in second place in the Atlantic Division with a 36-13-14 record, Rask isn’t ruling out his former team making a run next month.
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“It looks like they’ve got to make the playoffs,” Rask said of the current state of the Bruins. “So step one, right? As we saw last year, it doesn’t really matter how you get into the postseason. What matters is how you play there.
“So hopefully they can find their groove going into the playoffs and make a run because every year [in] the city — like I know from personal experience — everybody expects you to win and make a run at it. So hopefully they’ll answer the bell and bring some joy to the fans.”
Rask was on hand at TD Garden Tuesday to take part in the ribbon-cutting ceremony for the Boston Bruins Heritage Hall — a permanent, educational, interactive and immersive venue within the arena that will officially open to fans on Wednesday, March 6.
Unveiled as part of the Bruins’ centennial season festivities, the Boston Bruins Heritage Hall features interactive showcases such as shooting simulators and a “Be a Broadcaster” exhibit featuring a NESN studio desk — as well as over 65 artifacts and pieces of memorabilia tied into the Bruins’ century-long history.
“The first [NHL] team to reach 100 years in the U.S. — it’s quite an accomplishment,” Rask said. “And I think the Bruins have done a great job recognizing different players and different eras — like we have the 2011 team coming into town [on Thursday night against Toronto].
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“For myself living here and working for the team, I’ve seen each and every one of those [Era] nights and seen all the guys in the building and the old bands getting back together. It’s been quite remarkable. Personally, I’m looking forward to that in the next couple of days.”
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