Tuukka Rask shared the advice he gave to Jeremy Swayman
"That’s what I’m kind of looking forward to helping him with."
The Bruins demolished the Devils 8-1 on Thursday. Five Boston players finished the night with multiple points in the game. North Billerica native Marc McLaughlin scored in his NHL debut.
The Bruins also honored recently retired goaltender Tuukka Rask with a ceremonial puck drop prior to the game.
Rask’s advice to Jeremy Swayman: With the 35-year-old Rask stepping aside, 23-year-old Jeremy Swayman will continue to get his chance alongside fellow Bruins goaltender Linus Ullmark.
Rask, speaking to reporters prior to his ceremonial puck drop on Thursday, said that he looks forward to helping Swayman even though his planned comeback — which lasted four games in 2022 before his retirement — didn’t work out.
“He’s a great kid,” Rask said of Swayman. “He’s got a great head on his shoulders. Very talented. So, you know, I was kind of looking forward to that, being a mentor on the ice. Obviously didn’t work out that way. But now when I’m like on the other side not playing anymore, we still have that connection. We communicate, and I try to help any way I can.”
The psychological challenges of being a goalie can be immense, and Rask said he hopes to be a resource for Swayman whenever he needs it.
“I think mostly from me to him, it’s going to be helping guide him mentally, I think,” Rask explained. “I know what it’s like to play here as a young goalie, there’s a lot of pressure on you. So I told him right after I retired, ‘Call me if you need anything and just make sure that you don’t go too high or too low because it’s easy to kind of snowball from that either way.’ So that’s what I’m kind of looking forward to helping him with.”
Swayman, now in his second season with Boston, currently holds a 19-9 record with a 2.24 GAA.
Trivia: Can you name this baseball player based on the transaction history of his career via Baseball Reference?
June 4, 1984: Drafted by the California Angels in the 17th round of the 1984 amateur draft. Player signed June 8, 1984.
March 14, 1991: Traded by the California Angels to the Milwaukee Brewers for Dave Parker.
November 17, 1992: Traded by the Milwaukee Brewers to the Colorado Rockies for Kevin Reimer.
October 30, 1999: Traded by the Colorado Rockies with cash to the Cincinnati Reds for Stan Belinda and Jeffrey Hammonds.
August 31, 2000: Traded by the Cincinnati Reds to the Boston Red Sox for John Curtice (minors) and Chris Reitsma.
November 5, 2001: Granted Free Agency.
More from Boston.com:
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- ‘It was an easy one’: Tuukka Rask opens up about retirement ahead of ceremonial puck drop
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- Robert Kraft discussed his expectations for Mac Jones and the Patriots heading into a ‘big year’
- ‘I’ll be ready to play wherever’: Al Horford responded to a question over his vaccination status
- Celtics announcer Mike Gorman says he wants to continue for ‘two years at least’
- Bruce Cassidy explained how the Bruins’ ‘good nerds’ keep the team up to date with analytics
- WNBA players break silence on Brittney Griner
In honor of April Fool’s Day, looking back at an iconic prank: The time Joe Carter and the Blue Jays pretended to auction off Derek Bell’s car to a fan. Carter offered some hilarious background in a 2019 interview.
More on the newly-announced Home Run Derby X competition:
On this day: In 1973, John Havlicek scored a career-high 54 points in Game 1 of the Eastern Conference Semifinals against the Hawks. Havlicek and Jo Jo White (who added 34 points with 10 assists) paced Boston to a 134-109 win.
Daily highlight: U.S. international Catarina Macario capped Lyon’s Champions League win over Juventus with a skillful spin and score on Thursday.
Trivia answer: Dante Bichette
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