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Tuukka Rask

Snapshots: Three Stars, Olympics, KHL

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The NHL has named Tuukka Rask, Mark Scheifele, and Pekka Rinne as the three stars of the week.

Rask went 4-0-0 with a 0.970 SV% and a 0.75 GAA. He had two shutouts, and has now won 10 of his first 11 games, making him the second Bruins goalie in their 92-year history to do so. Bruins legend Gerry Cheevers is the only other Bruins goalie to do so. Boston is proving to be rather dependent on Rask; they’re 0-5 without him and 10-1 with him.

Scheifele scored 3 goals and 6 points in 4 games, pushing him into a first place tie for the NHL scoring lead. The Jets earned 7 out of a possible 8 points during the week, bumping them to second in the Central Division.

Rinne went 3-0-0 during the week, with a sparkling 0.976 SV% and a 0.67 GAA to go alongside one shutout. Rinne has five wins so far this season, as Nashville makes their way back into playoff contention after a tough start.

  • It’s not looking great for NHL fans hoping to see their favorite players in the 2018 Winter Olympics. Commissioner Gary Bettman has admitted that he has explored the idea of the NHL skipping 2018 in Pyeongchang but returning in 2022 in Beijing. The NHL has participated in every Winter Olympics since Nagano 1998. Deputy Commissioner Bill Daly noted the International Olympic Committee’s decision not to pay the NHL for what they have in the past has not changed. Sportsnet’s Chris Johnston points out that the NHL and NHLPA have “stated unequivocally that they’re unwilling to start paying the estimated $10-million while also interrupting the season.” That money is for player travel and insurance.
  • Meanwhile, the KHL is considering trimming the number of franchises in their league. League president Dmitry Chernyshenko told R-Sport that they’re planning to talk about “an optimization of the number of clubs taking part.” Chernyshenko suggesting it’s possible that “the league could contract.” The KHL just expanded to China for this season, but Kunlun Red Star has struggled to attract fans. As well, the floundering price of oil has hurt the league’s funding in Russia.

Did Rask Aggravate Lower Body Injury Last Night?

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In post for CSNNE.com, Joe Haggerty discusses the importance of Tuukka Rask to the on-ice success of the Boston Bruins. Rask is 6 – 1 – 0 with a GAA of under 2.00 and a Save% of 93.2% in seven starts this season for Boston. Haggerty argues that unless Rask is playing at the top of his game, the Bruins have little chance to come away with a win.

Using last night’s loss to the Rangers as an example, Haggerty pointed out that Rask allowed two goals he probably should have stopped. If Rask stops those shots, the Bruins are still in the game and have a chance at earning at least a point. In post-game comments, the Bruins netminder seemed to agree with Haggerty’s assessment:

“I felt good in the first. No rebounds. And then, the first goal, it is what it is. Then the second, off the guy’s shin pads, it’s something you can’t really control. Then the 3-1 goal, it’s just a five-hole so kind of a bad goal. Then the last one, [it was] obviously a bad goal, so that’s about it. When you let in a couple bad ones and mix in a couple lucky ones, it gets ugly. That’s what happened tonight.”

It’s hard to argue just how critical Rask is to Boston’s postseason hopes. He has the ability to carry the team on his back when he is playing well. Unfortunately for the Bruins, Rask has already battled through a lower body injury and missed a few starts as a result. Making matters worse, as Haggerty opines, is that Rask appeared to aggravate the malady during the second period of Boston’s 5 – 2 loss last night.

While he didn’t come out of the game and actually waved the team’s training staff off, Haggerty noted it was the same “buckling under following full extension” that he experienced on two separate occasions earlier this season. Whether or not Rask is fine now, it appears as if this could remain a lingering issue for the foreseeable future.

Injury Notes: Hammond, Letang, Pietrangelo

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After dealing for Mike Condon today to give himself some insurance, Ottawa Senators’ GM Peter Dorion says that Andrew Hammond is out for at least another week dealing with a groin injury. Hammond was placed on injured reserve last week.

While Hammond is out with a known injury, Ken Warren of the Ottawa Citizen reports that the Craig Anderson situation is “very fluid”, meaning the goaltender may miss additional time during the year. Condon will fly to meet the Senators in Ottawa for tomorrow’s game against the Canucks.

Malcolm Subban Reassigned To Providence; Rask Returns

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The Boston Bruins announced via their team website that they have reassigned goalie Malcolm Subban to Providence of the AHL. Subban was originally recalled due to injuries to Boston’s top two netminders, Tuukka Rask and Anton Khudobin. He started one contest and was pulled in the second period of a loss to Minnesota after allowing three goals on 16 shots.

The reassignment of Subban suggests Rask is now healthy enough to at least serve as the backup in tonight’s game against Detroit. Joe Haggerty of CSNNE confirmed that belief via Twitter, indicating that Rask and Zane McIntyre would serve as the tandem between the pipes for Boston.

Subban was Boston’s first round choice in the 2012 draft, selected 24th overall. In 99 appearances for Providence, Subban has recorded a 91.6% save percentage and a goals-against-average of 2.46.

Injury Updates: Penguins, Bruins, Stars, Blues, Kings

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Pittsburgh Penguins center Sidney Crosby returned to practice for the first time on Monday since sustaining a concussion just prior to the start of the regular season, notes Sam Kasan of the team’s official website.  He also wasn’t wearing a non-contact jersey which is a sign that he should be nearing a return to the lineup in the near future.  Crosby skated on the top line in practice along with wingers Patric Hornqvist and Scott Wilson.  There remains no firm timetable for his return, but head coach Mike Sullivan wouldn’t rule out a possible return this week.

Still with the Penguins, Kris Letang (upper body) and Conor Sheary (eye) did not practice today, Jason Mackey of the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette reports (via Twitter).  Both players are currently listed as day-to-day.

Other injury updates from around the league:

  • With Boston goaltender Tuukka Rask still unavailable to practice, the team announced that they’ve recalled prospect Malcolm Subban on an emergency basis. On top of that, Anton Khudobin left practice early with an upper body injury, adds Kevin Paul Dupont of the Boston Globe.  Rask remains day-to-day while there’s no word yet on the severity of Khudobin’s injury.
  • After returning to the lineup on Saturday from a groin injury, Dallas right winger Ales Hemsky is once again on the shelf with a groin injury and won’t play tomorrow, notes Mike Heika of the Dallas News. Additionally, center Jason Spezza tweaked something and is listed as questionable.  Jiri Hudler (flu) is skating and is nearing a return to the lineup but is not expected to play on Tuesday night.  The team announced that Hemsky has been placed on IR while center Justin Dowling has been recalled from Texas of the AHL.
  • St. Louis center Jori Lehtera skated on his own today as he continues to recover from an upper body injury, reports Tom Timmermann of the St. Louis Post-Dispatch (Twitter link). In a follow-up tweet, Timmermann adds that right winger Dmitrij Jaskin is day-to-day with a back issue.
  • Kings goaltender Jeff Zatkoff is expected to miss around a week with his groin injury, head coach Darryl Sutter told reporters including Jon Rosen of LA Kings Insider. Zatkoff was expected to be the backup to Jonathan Quick this season but was thrust into the starting role with Quick expected to miss the next three months.  In the meantime, Los Angeles will continue to go with Peter Budaj as their starter while speculation continues that the team will eventually have to add some help via the trade route.

Injury Updates: Coyotes, Winnik, Rask, Wild

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Coyotes goaltender Mike Smith has been sent back to Arizona to be evaluated by team doctors, notes Sarah McLellan of AZ Central.  He left Tuesday’s game in Ottawa with what is believed to be a knee injury.  Head coach Dave Tippett stated that no firm diagnosis has been given and accordingly, there’s no word yet on how long he might miss although the team has placed him on injured reserve.  Craig Morgan of AZ Central adds (via Twitter) that the placement was made retroactive to October 18th.

Also from McLellan, winger Jamie McGinn is expected to rejoin the team on Saturday although he’s not expected to play right away as the team wants to get him into some practices before putting him in the lineup.

In the meantime, the team will run with backup Louis Domingue (who is between the pipes again tonight against the Islanders despite being pulled early last night in Montreal) and third stringer Justin Peters.

Other injury news from around the league:

  • While Washington left winger Daniel Winnik was able to return to the game on Thursday despite taking a puck to the head, he didn’t come away completely injury free, writes Isabelle Khurshudyan of the Washington Post. After the game, head coach Barry Trotz told reporters that Winnik lost a small piece of his ear on the play.
  • Boston goaltender Tuukka Rask did not skate with the team on Friday as he once again is dealing with ‘general soreness’, reports CSN NE’s Joe Haggerty. Rask was dealing with this issue when he sat out last Saturday against Toronto although he returned to the lineup this week and made 28 of 29 saves in a win against New Jersey on Thursday.  As a result, he is now listed as questionable to play on Saturday night against Montreal.
  • Minnesota blueliner Jared Spurgeon suffered an upper body injury in the third period against Toronto, notes Michael Russo of the Minnesota Star-Tribune. Meanwhile, left winger Erik Haula looked to further aggravate an existing lower body issue on Thursday night and Russo adds that he is not walking particularly well off the ice.  Both players did not practice.  Defenseman Marco Scandella, who didn’t play due to an illness versus the Leafs, did skate and potentially could slide into Spurgeon’s spot in the lineup if he is unable to play Saturday against New Jersey.

Injury Reports: Rask, Girardi

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Injury notes from last night’s NHL games:

  • Tuukka Rask. The Boston Bruins’ goaltender Tuukka Rask sat out last night’s game against the Toronto Maple Leafs, and it was only after the game that the Bruins admitted to Rask’s injury, reports Kevin Paul Dupont of the Boston Globe. The team did not disclose the nature or extend of Rask’s injury—they referred to it as soreness—but it’s believed to be a lower body ailment. The Boston Herald’s Steve Conroy reports that Rask seemed to tweak something in the 3rd period of Thursday’s game against the Columbus Blue Jackets. Rask left the ice during a TV timeout but returned for the rest of the game. Backup goaltender Anton Khudobin started in Rask’s place yesterday in the team’s 4-1 loss. It is unclear how long Rask will be sidelined, but if he misses considerable time, the Bruins will compete with the Los Angeles Kings to find a suitable stopgap.
  • Dan Girardi. The New York Rangers defensemen suffered a hip flexor injury last night against the St. Louis Blues. Girardi left the ice in the second period and did not return. After the game, coach Alain Vigneault speculated that while he doesn’t know the injury’s severity, he expects it to be more than day-to-day. Losing Dan Girardi is a blow to the Rangers’ blueline, but it gives former first round pick Dylan McIlrath another shot to impress the coaching staff. The Rangers were rumored to be shopping McIlrath earlier this month, but those talks may be on hold until Girari returns.

Snapshots: Rask, Yakupov, Despres

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Veteran goalie Tuukka Rask of the Boston Bruins didn’t enjoy his best season in 2015-16, finishing with a 91.5% Save % and a GAA of 2.56. Both those rates constituted the worst of Rask’s career to date but as Joe Haggerty writes, the Finnish goalie is using that experience as a learning tool to prepare for the ups-and-downs likely to come in 2016-17.

With the Bruins in the midst of a transition, Rask is likely going to face more adversity this season but he feels the experiences of a year ago have made him “mentally tougher,” and less likely to let a soft or fluke goal affect his game. Rask has already demonstrated this new approach in the Bruins first regular season contest. As Haggerty notes, the Columbus Blue Jackets scored the game’s first goal, a floater from just inside the blue line, and would tally again later in the opening period, but Rask rebounded by stopping 21 of the final 22 shots he faced to earn the victory. Last season the outcome might have been different, but the work Rask put in on the mental aspect of the game paid off for one night at least.

Elsewhere in the NHL:

  • While things didn’t end well in Edmonton for Nail Yakupov, the talented winger is off to a great start with St. Louis and he’s impressing his new head coach and teammates, according to Norm Sanders of the Belleville News-Democrat. Following a two-point performance in the Blues’ 3 – 2 win over Minnesota, Ken Hitchcock had this to say about his newest player: “Much better defensively than I thought. He’s got great outside speed. What I liked more than anything was his conscience. His conscience was there. We’re not trying to overwhelm him by having him do a bunch of things. We’re just going to keep it five on five for the first week to 10 days and see how much he can absorb there.” Veteran scoring forward Alex Steen has been impressed with Yakupov’s decision-making in the early going: “Smart decisions with the puck (and) he’s obviously individually very skilled and makes plays in tight areas. We’re happy to have him.” Yakupov has a ways to go to alter the negative reputation he earned as a member of the Oilers but so far he has done everything the Blues have asked for and may finally be on his way to fulfilling his vast potential.
  • The Ducks, already without blue line stalwart Hampus Lindholm, who remains unsigned as a RFA, could be without fellow defenseman Simon Despres as well. Despres left Thursday’s game against the Stars with what is being called an “upper-body-injury,” and his status is unclear, as noted by Eric Stephens of The Orange County Register. Ducks GM Bob Murray said this about Despres: “He was not feeling good last night. We’re trying to figure out what’s going on with him. … Something’s wrong here and we’re going to get to bottom of it here.” Stephens relays that Murray also referenced Despres’ past issues with head injuries, which seems to hint that the Ducks are concerned this may in fact be another concussion.

Poll: 2005 NHL Draft Take Two (1st Overall Pick)

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Hindsight is an amazing thing.

Piggybacking off an idea from our sister site Hoops Rumors, PHR looks back at the 2005 NHL Draft and how different it would look if general managers knew now what they didn’t know then.

The 2005 NHL Draft was unique in the fact that every team had a chance to select first due to the lockout that wiped out the entire 2004-05 season. To make sure each team had an opportunity, the NHL brass assigned teams one to three ping pong balls for the draft–determined by previous performance–with the worst teams earning three ping pong balls. As history would have it, the Pittsburgh Penguins would select first and went onto draft Sidney Crosby, who would become the cornerstone of the franchise. Two Stanley Cups since then, many would agree that the correct choice was made. From there, it gets interesting.

Looking back, the 2005 NHL draft boasted some big names between the pipes. Carey Price, Ben Bishop, Jonathan Quick, and Tuukka Rask were just a few. There were also some late round steals.  The Blackhawks struck gold taking Niklas Hjalmarsson in the fourth round while the Predators took Patric Hornqvist with the final pick in the draft. The Penguins also benefitted from that pick as well–especially this past season.

The redrafting of the entire 2005 draft will be based upon votes from readers. Below is a list of just over 35 players who went onto have impactful careers since then. If you don’t see a player you feel should be on there, let us know in the comments section. As each pick comes up, it will be the votes of the readers who reshape the draft selections. Throughout the next few weeks, every team will be represented and will “pick” a new player in their slot. We will begin with Pittsburgh, though it seems obvious who will be selected, because it keeps the re-draft concept consistent and complete.

With the first pick in the 2005 draft, who should the Pittsburgh Penguins select?

Free Agent Focus: Boston Bruins

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The Boston Bruins were faced with a “win and you’re in” situation in the final game of the regular season versus Ottawa. Unfortunately, Tuukka Rask was a last-minute scratch due to illness, and his backup, Jonas Gustavsson allowed 4 goals in 8 minutes in the second period as the Senators routed the Bruins 6-1. The Flyers won later in the day to clinch the final playoff spot in the Eastern Conference.

It was a bizarre season for the Bruins, coming off their first non-playoff year since 2006-07. GM Peter Chiarelli was fired and replaced by his assistant Don Sweeney. Sweeney got off to a rough start with Bruins fans, trading emerging blue-liner Dougie Hamilton to Calgary for three draft picks, despite the belief Edmonton (now helmed by Chiarelli) had a better offer on the table. He then traded longtime Bruins winger Milan Lucic to Los Angeles, resulting in the Bruins having three consecutive picks in the first round (13-15). Sweeney selected tough defender Jakub Zboril and wingers Jake Debrusk and Zachary Senyshyn. Senyshyn was a particularly controversial pick, as he was rated to be a mid-second round pick.

The Bruins went on to post 42-31-9 record, missing the playoffs after that brutal loss to Ottawa.

Cap space: $18.43MM, 16 players under contract

Key RFAs: D Torey Krug – Krug may have been the best defenceman on the Bruins last year, scoring 44 points and averaging 21 minutes per game. Krug underwent shoulder surgery after the season and may miss the beginning of the 2016-17 season. The diminutive Krug will be looking for a raise on the $3.4MM he made last year. With Zdeno Chara getting older, the Bruins are going to rely on Krug more than ever.

Other RFAs: RW Brett Connolly, D Colin Miller, D Joe Morrow, F Landon Ferraro

Key UFAs: W Loui Eriksson – the two-way scoring winger acquired in the Tyler Seguin trade scored 30 goals and 63 points in 82 games last season. Eriksson was widely expected to be traded or re-signed by the trade deadline, but neither happened. Eriksson is believed to be asking for around $6MM per season for 5-6 years. If the Bruins don’t sign him, they’ll be in the market for his replacement.

Other UFAs: R Lee Stempniak, C Chris Kelly, D John-Michael Liles, G Jonas Gustavsson, D Zach Trotman, RW Tyler Randell

Outlook: The Bruins have a busy off-season ahead, with two of their top players needing contracts, and a desperate need on the blueline. The Bruins have allegedly had conversations about acquiring Dmitry Kulikov from the Panthers, according to Joe Haggerty from CSN. Aging defenceman Dennis Seidenberg is a potential buyout candidate. The Bruins also have $5.25MM eaten up by a pair of third-pairing defensemen Kevan Miller and Adam McQuaid. McQuaid could be on the trade block to make room for a higher priced defenceman.

Expect Frankie Vatrano to spend the entire year on the Bruins roster after scoring 36 goals and 55 points in 36 AHL games. He also scored 11 points in 39 NHL games.

They shouldn’t have a problem protecting their current roster from an expansion draft, though goalie-of-the-future Malcolm Subban will have to be exposed.

Sweeney also needs to ensure leading goal-scorer Brad Marchand is under contract well before the trade deadline.

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