Christmas has come and gone and New Years Day is just around the corner. During the 8 days spanning from Christmas morning to New Years morning Go, Titletown will add daily updates to an 8 part series remembering the highs lows and all around heartwarming moments of 2013 in Boston Sports as well as a look ahead to what we might see in 2014. This is not a statistical analysis of these 298 professional sporting events that took place in Boston in 2013, this is a written rehashing and a reminder that we are the greatest sports town on the planet.
Complete Schedule
December 25th- A Year of Leaders
December 26th - Best Patriots Moments
December 27th - Best Red Sox Moments
December 28th - Best Bruins Moments
December 29th - Top Plays
December 30th - Top Games
December 31st - David Ortiz Is the Boston Athlete of 2013
January 1st - The Promise of 2014
On March 5th 2007, the Boston Bruins news team published a very brief 305 word article vaguely providing introduction to a 21 year old Finnish goaltender currently starting for Llves team of the Finnish Junior League. to that point we knew nothing about what this man would become and yet the seeds of our recognition of this kids greatness had already been planted.
"I was really impressed with him, to be honest with you," said "Goalie Bob" while watching the Colorado Avalanche practice today, prior to the Bruins optional skate. "I really liked a lot of things that he does. Some of the things that he needs to improve on (have to do with the) North American style. Just in terms of edge work, getting from point A to point B, and his mindset," Bruins goalie coach Bob Essensa said in the article. "I was really impressed with the kid,"
7 years later, Bruins fans know why. 7 years later, hockey fans know why and 7 years later, that young goalie who so recently was playing in a league few hockey fans have ever heard of is one of the best goaltenders in all of hockey. 7 years later, this young goalie is more than just an impressive prospect. 7 years later, he is Tuukka Rask, one of the most impressive athletes of 2013.
As we recap this year of greatness for Rask we must first acknowledge the questions that plagued him at the start of the year. After he was initially brought up to the big club to provide more size and reactionary skill than current backup, Manny Fernandez, Rask actually grabbed starting status on the Bruins squad starting 45 games for the Bruins in 2009-2010 while becoming the first goalie in NHL history to post a sub 2.00 GAA in his rookie season. However Rask was not even considered for a nomination as rookie of the year and as defending Vesna Trophy winning veteran Tim Thomas returned to form the following season Rask was relieved of his starting duties and once again locked into the role of backup goaltender.
From there, Rask slowly became an overlooked aspect of the 2011 Bruins cup run and while he did not log any ice time during that postseason that Tim Thomas so forcefully dominated, the Bruin backup backstopped 11 wins for the team and reminded the world that while Timmy Thomas may have been going around winning MVP’s and additional Vesna Trophy recognition the Bruins were one of the strongest goaltending teams in all of hockey. Furthermore, while nobody knew it then, Rask was slowly moving towards a huge change in the trajectory of his career and no matter how cold it might be he only has Tim Thomas to thank.
In his final season as Boston’s backup goalie, Rask made 22 starts won 19 games and compiled a GAA of just 2.05 all before his season was ended via a groin injury suffered in a mid-March game with the Islanders. Rask would not play again that season and in fact it was during those final days of the regular season that Bruins fans were finally shown how much Rask really meant to their team. The Bruins went through a whole assortment of backups as Rask rehabbed but as they ultimately settled on well-traveled net minder, Marty Turco, they hit rock bottom. Turco allowed nearly 4 goals per game in the 5 games he played that season Tim Thomas, no matter how skilled he was on the ice started to slip into hot water.
In January, Thomas had neglected to appear at the annual Stanley Cup ceremony at the White House and while he did eventually provide an explanation for his action the entire fiasco only intensified public discontent with the former fan favorite.
“I believe the Federal government has grown out of control, threatening the Rights, Liberties, and Property of the People.
That statement would mark as the beginning of the end for Thomas while also being the beginning of Tuukka’s rebirth as an NHL starter.
“This is being done at the Executive, Legislative, and Judicial level. This is in direct opposition to the Constitution and the Founding Fathers vision for the Federal government.” Thomas said. “Because I believe this, today I exercised my right as a Free Citizen, and did not visit the White House. This was not about politics or party, as in my opinion both parties are responsible for the situation we are in as a country. This was about a choice I had to make as an INDIVIDUAL.
This is the only public statement I will be making on this topic. TT”
By 2013, Thomas had announced his voluntary suspension from the Bruins roster and while it was no secret that Rask would be named the starter, many questioned his durability long term and wondered if he had the physical capabilities to string together multiple seasons in which he made 40+ starts in addition to manning the majority of the Bruins postseason minutes.
However after the delayed start of the 2013 NHL season finally concluded those questions rapidly vanished. Tuukka was there for 36 of 48 Bruins games in the lockout shortened 2012-2013 NHL season nearly willing his way to a 19-10-5 record. The Bruins nabbed the 4th seed in the Eastern Conference in 2013 and yet it was Rask’s postseason performance that quashed any lingering questions regarding his durability or just flat out skill. While the Bruins did not win the cup last season, Rask was still a prime candidate to win the Con Smyth award for postseason excellence mainly because of his stunning performance in the Eastern Conference Finals sweep of the Pittsburgh Penguins. He was there for every minute of the Bruins 4 wins over the Penguins and bookended his stunning performance with shutouts in Game 1 and then the clenching Game 4 that saw one of the iconic pictures of the 2013 season capture the pure elation Rask felt as he stifled one final drive by Jarome Iginla and slowly slid into the embrace of his teammates his arms extended in a jubilant victory salute. Rask also was there for a massive 53 save 2-1 double OT Boston win in Game 3 of that series.
"I don't think you feel that physical fatigue at that point, it's just you try to keep your head in and not thinking that you're tired. It's a mental challenge. If you think you're tired, you're tired; if you don't, you don't," Rask said after the 5 period marathon of a hockey game. "I feel good. I don't feel any better than I felt throughout the playoffs. Our team is helping me out a lot. If you let in two goals in three games, you're making some good saves, too. But we're blocking shots and taking care of rebounds pretty well, so that helps me to do my job a lot."
The 2012-2013 season was a coming out party for Rask. 2013-2014 has been a campaign dominated by an assertion of dominance as not only a great young goaltender but a great goaltender period. Tuukka is a stud.
In the wake of such a dominant run when games matter as much as they do in an NHL postseason, the services of a now far from underrated Rask became a hot commodity meaning that as his contract came to a close the Bruins were not the only team looking to ink a contract with the 26 year old Scandinavian. Over the course of a long drawn out process that included a decent string of worrisome days for Bruins fans contracts assembled themselves then fell apart all before on July 10th, 6 days after the Bruins traded away Tyler Seguin, the Bruins and their most valuable players came to terms on an 8 year, 56 million dollar contract that will likely keep Rask in a Bruins sweater for the rest of his career. Those 56 million dollars make Rask the highest paid goaltender in hockey and yet unlike many pro sports contracts these days, this one is worth every penny.
Rask is a kind of goalie to be treasured like the hope diamond. He, like the legendary Marty Brodeur, Patrik Roy or Henrik Lundquvist has the ability to effectively and completely steal a game meaning that when he is feeling it, it would take a mac truck to drive the puck past him. In the wake of that mega contract more than any other time in his career, Rask has exhibited that ability.
With the Bruins defense depleted and very young, whoever is manning the net for Boston has been forced to face a wide variety of unsuspected shots and fearsome breakouts nearly necessitating the bail-me-out qualities of a Rask like figure serving as that final line of defense. When you think it out, if Rask were not in Boston the man trying to fill that void would likely be either Anton Khudobin or Niklas Svedberg. These two goaltenders no matter how skilled they are are both as young as they come and while they have sure had their games they would likely not be able to steal wins like Rask can.
In this season alone, Tuukka has compiled 4 shutouts while on 11 additional occasions he has allowed just 1 goal. As a result of this nearly constant dominance his GAA of 1.89 is the 5th best in the NHL.
He has already played 31 games in 2013 and is just 14 appearances away from tying his career high of 45 appearances. Additionally, if he continues on the playing pace he is currently on, Rask will finish 2013-2014 having started 65 regular season games without accounting for any postseason play whatsoever.
Already, 2013 has been a season of shock for Tuukka Rask. He has erased the memory of Tim Thomas while watching in pain as 17 Seconds destroyed the Bruin’s Stanley Cup hopes. In just 1 year Rask has shed his shell and while that 2007 scouting report may have provided a whisper of what its subject might become, Rask’s on ice performance has walked straight into the center of Bruins nation and screamed it with booming ferocity.
He has screamed it as loud and as often as he could and in a year that he will end having played in 77% of Bruins games that repetition of his obsession with winning have turned into a chant Bruins fans will be so fiercely contempt with joining in on.
On March 5th 2007, the Boston Bruins news team published a very brief 305 word article vaguely providing introduction to a 21 year old Finnish goaltender currently starting for Llves team of the Finnish Junior League. to that point we knew nothing about what this man would become and yet the seeds of our recognition of this kids greatness had already been planted.
"I was really impressed with him, to be honest with you," said "Goalie Bob" while watching the Colorado Avalanche practice today, prior to the Bruins optional skate. "I really liked a lot of things that he does. Some of the things that he needs to improve on (have to do with the) North American style. Just in terms of edge work, getting from point A to point B, and his mindset," Bruins goalie coach Bob Essensa said in the article. "I was really impressed with the kid,"
7 years later, Bruins fans know why. 7 years later, hockey fans know why and 7 years later, that young goalie who so recently was playing in a league few hockey fans have ever heard of is one of the best goaltenders in all of hockey. 7 years later, this young goalie is more than just an impressive prospect. 7 years later, he is Tuukka Rask, one of the most impressive athletes of 2013.
As we recap this year of greatness for Rask we must first acknowledge the questions that plagued him at the start of the year. After he was initially brought up to the big club to provide more size and reactionary skill than current backup, Manny Fernandez, Rask actually grabbed starting status on the Bruins squad starting 45 games for the Bruins in 2009-2010 while becoming the first goalie in NHL history to post a sub 2.00 GAA in his rookie season. However Rask was not even considered for a nomination as rookie of the year and as defending Vesna Trophy winning veteran Tim Thomas returned to form the following season Rask was relieved of his starting duties and once again locked into the role of backup goaltender.
From there, Rask slowly became an overlooked aspect of the 2011 Bruins cup run and while he did not log any ice time during that postseason that Tim Thomas so forcefully dominated, the Bruin backup backstopped 11 wins for the team and reminded the world that while Timmy Thomas may have been going around winning MVP’s and additional Vesna Trophy recognition the Bruins were one of the strongest goaltending teams in all of hockey. Furthermore, while nobody knew it then, Rask was slowly moving towards a huge change in the trajectory of his career and no matter how cold it might be he only has Tim Thomas to thank.
In his final season as Boston’s backup goalie, Rask made 22 starts won 19 games and compiled a GAA of just 2.05 all before his season was ended via a groin injury suffered in a mid-March game with the Islanders. Rask would not play again that season and in fact it was during those final days of the regular season that Bruins fans were finally shown how much Rask really meant to their team. The Bruins went through a whole assortment of backups as Rask rehabbed but as they ultimately settled on well-traveled net minder, Marty Turco, they hit rock bottom. Turco allowed nearly 4 goals per game in the 5 games he played that season Tim Thomas, no matter how skilled he was on the ice started to slip into hot water.
In January, Thomas had neglected to appear at the annual Stanley Cup ceremony at the White House and while he did eventually provide an explanation for his action the entire fiasco only intensified public discontent with the former fan favorite.
“I believe the Federal government has grown out of control, threatening the Rights, Liberties, and Property of the People.
That statement would mark as the beginning of the end for Thomas while also being the beginning of Tuukka’s rebirth as an NHL starter.
“This is being done at the Executive, Legislative, and Judicial level. This is in direct opposition to the Constitution and the Founding Fathers vision for the Federal government.” Thomas said. “Because I believe this, today I exercised my right as a Free Citizen, and did not visit the White House. This was not about politics or party, as in my opinion both parties are responsible for the situation we are in as a country. This was about a choice I had to make as an INDIVIDUAL.
This is the only public statement I will be making on this topic. TT”
*****
However after the delayed start of the 2013 NHL season finally concluded those questions rapidly vanished. Tuukka was there for 36 of 48 Bruins games in the lockout shortened 2012-2013 NHL season nearly willing his way to a 19-10-5 record. The Bruins nabbed the 4th seed in the Eastern Conference in 2013 and yet it was Rask’s postseason performance that quashed any lingering questions regarding his durability or just flat out skill. While the Bruins did not win the cup last season, Rask was still a prime candidate to win the Con Smyth award for postseason excellence mainly because of his stunning performance in the Eastern Conference Finals sweep of the Pittsburgh Penguins. He was there for every minute of the Bruins 4 wins over the Penguins and bookended his stunning performance with shutouts in Game 1 and then the clenching Game 4 that saw one of the iconic pictures of the 2013 season capture the pure elation Rask felt as he stifled one final drive by Jarome Iginla and slowly slid into the embrace of his teammates his arms extended in a jubilant victory salute. Rask also was there for a massive 53 save 2-1 double OT Boston win in Game 3 of that series.
"I don't think you feel that physical fatigue at that point, it's just you try to keep your head in and not thinking that you're tired. It's a mental challenge. If you think you're tired, you're tired; if you don't, you don't," Rask said after the 5 period marathon of a hockey game. "I feel good. I don't feel any better than I felt throughout the playoffs. Our team is helping me out a lot. If you let in two goals in three games, you're making some good saves, too. But we're blocking shots and taking care of rebounds pretty well, so that helps me to do my job a lot."
The 2012-2013 season was a coming out party for Rask. 2013-2014 has been a campaign dominated by an assertion of dominance as not only a great young goaltender but a great goaltender period. Tuukka is a stud.
In the wake of such a dominant run when games matter as much as they do in an NHL postseason, the services of a now far from underrated Rask became a hot commodity meaning that as his contract came to a close the Bruins were not the only team looking to ink a contract with the 26 year old Scandinavian. Over the course of a long drawn out process that included a decent string of worrisome days for Bruins fans contracts assembled themselves then fell apart all before on July 10th, 6 days after the Bruins traded away Tyler Seguin, the Bruins and their most valuable players came to terms on an 8 year, 56 million dollar contract that will likely keep Rask in a Bruins sweater for the rest of his career. Those 56 million dollars make Rask the highest paid goaltender in hockey and yet unlike many pro sports contracts these days, this one is worth every penny.
Rask is a kind of goalie to be treasured like the hope diamond. He, like the legendary Marty Brodeur, Patrik Roy or Henrik Lundquvist has the ability to effectively and completely steal a game meaning that when he is feeling it, it would take a mac truck to drive the puck past him. In the wake of that mega contract more than any other time in his career, Rask has exhibited that ability.
With the Bruins defense depleted and very young, whoever is manning the net for Boston has been forced to face a wide variety of unsuspected shots and fearsome breakouts nearly necessitating the bail-me-out qualities of a Rask like figure serving as that final line of defense. When you think it out, if Rask were not in Boston the man trying to fill that void would likely be either Anton Khudobin or Niklas Svedberg. These two goaltenders no matter how skilled they are are both as young as they come and while they have sure had their games they would likely not be able to steal wins like Rask can.
In this season alone, Tuukka has compiled 4 shutouts while on 11 additional occasions he has allowed just 1 goal. As a result of this nearly constant dominance his GAA of 1.89 is the 5th best in the NHL.
He has already played 31 games in 2013 and is just 14 appearances away from tying his career high of 45 appearances. Additionally, if he continues on the playing pace he is currently on, Rask will finish 2013-2014 having started 65 regular season games without accounting for any postseason play whatsoever.
Already, 2013 has been a season of shock for Tuukka Rask. He has erased the memory of Tim Thomas while watching in pain as 17 Seconds destroyed the Bruin’s Stanley Cup hopes. In just 1 year Rask has shed his shell and while that 2007 scouting report may have provided a whisper of what its subject might become, Rask’s on ice performance has walked straight into the center of Bruins nation and screamed it with booming ferocity.
He has screamed it as loud and as often as he could and in a year that he will end having played in 77% of Bruins games that repetition of his obsession with winning have turned into a chant Bruins fans will be so fiercely contempt with joining in on.
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