Tuukka Rask Says He Wants to Remain with Bruins amid Trade Rumors
Oct 8, 2020
Boston Bruins' Tuukka Rask plays during an NHL hockey game against the Philadelphia Flyers, Tuesday, March 10, 2020, in Philadelphia. (AP Photo/Matt Slocum)
The Boston Bruins might be looking to move on from Tuukka Rask, but the star goalie is hoping to remain with the only NHL team for which he's ever played.
Speaking to Steve Conroy of the Boston Herald, Rask said he doesn't "want to play for anybody else but the Bruins."
TSN'sFrank Seravalli reported on Oct. 1 that Bruins general manager Don Sweeney "has initiated conversations with teams about Rask’s market value over the last number of weeks."
Speaking toreporterson Monday prior to the start of the 2020 NHL draft, Sweeney denied he was looking to trade his star goalie:
"As a matter of fact, our staff has communicated with Tuukka and, as I said before, he remains a big part of our roster planning going forward. I think by my knowledge, he was second in the Vezina balloting and we feel very, very comfortable with where our goaltending is at. And I think you’re going to need it. I don’t know what the schedule and what the season—I think there are a lot of things that are up in the air, but it could be a challenging environment from a season standpoint. Might make goaltending even more a big part of what you have to have going forward."
The 2020-21 season will be the final year of Rask's current contract that was signed in July 2013. He is owed $6.5 million and carries a $7 million cap hit, tied forfourth-highestamong all goalies.
Rask led the NHL with a 2.12 goals against average, ranked second in save percentage (92.9) and tied for second with five shutouts last season. The 33-year-oldfinishedsecond to Connor Hellebuyck of the Winnipeg Jets in Vezina Trophy voting.
Boston won the Presidents' Trophy after leading the league with 100 points during the shortened regular season. The Bruins lost in the second round of the playoffs to the eventual Stanley Cup champion Tampa Bay Lightning.
Bruins' Bruce Cassidy Named 2020 Jack Adams Award Winner
Sep 9, 2020
Boston Bruins coach Bruce Cassidy watches play against the Minnesota Wild from the bench with center Karson Kuhlman (83) and right wing Chris Wagner (14) during the third period of an NHL hockey game Saturday, Feb. 1, 2020, in St. Paul, Minn. The Bruins won 6-1. (AP Photo/Hannah Foslien)
The Hockey Hall of Fame defines the award as an honor given to the coach "adjudged to have contributed the most to his team's success." The NHL Broadcasters' Association presents the annual honor.
Cassidy's Bruins won the Presidents' Trophy after earning a league-high 100 points this regular season. They have gone 161-66-34 under the coach and were one win away from a 2019 Stanley Cup takedown against the St. Louis Blues.
The B's won 50 games the year prior for Cassidy, who joined the team midway through the 2016-17 season.
This season's team has asserted its dominance from start to finish save for a couple of rough patches. A 20-3-5 start gave way to an 8-7-6 stretch, but the B's followed that up with wins in 16 of their last 19 games before the NHL suspended its season due to the COVID-19 pandemic on March 12.
The Bruins are the favorites to take home the Cup when the league restarts on Aug. 1, though, as they sport a dominant forward trio consisting of NHL leading goal-scorer David Pastrnak, Brad Marchand and Patrice Bergeron.
Defenseman Zdeno Chara and goalie Tuukka Rask led a brick-wall defense that has spearheaded the team's efforts to allowed the NHL's fewest goals per game. Cassidy oversees the whole operation and has his Bruins in line for the Cup.
Brad Marchand, Bruins Rally Past Hurricanes in Game 4 Behind 3rd-Period Outburst
Aug 17, 2020
Boston Bruins left wing Brad Marchand skates during the third period of an NHL hockey game against the Florida Panthers, Thursday, March 5, 2020, in Sunrise, Fla. (AP Photo/Wilfredo Lee)
The Boston Bruins grabbed a commanding 3-1 series lead on the Carolina Hurricanes in the 2020 Stanley Cup playoffs with a 4-3 win in Game 4 on Monday night.
Brad Marchand gave the Bruins a 3-2 lead 11:40 into the third period, and Jake DeBrusk doubled their advantage minutes later.
Teuvo Teravainen got a goal back for the Hurricanes with 1:27 left on the clock. Carolina pulled goaltender James Reimer, but the extra man couldn't help the team force overtime.
Boston finished with a 33-19 edge in shots, which doesn't accurately reflect how the game unfolded. The Bruins' attack was mostly silent before exploding in the third period.
Coming back from this kind of collapse will be difficult for Carolina.
The Bruins simply steamrolled the Hurricanes in the third period before Teravainen's goal.
Yikes. Via NaturalStatTrick, the Bruins are out-attempting the Hurricanes 26-4 in all situations in the third and outshooting them 15-0. pic.twitter.com/YpFuSi3Ull
The Bruins have 4 goals in the 3rd period. The Canes have 0 SOG in the 3rd. This is pure domination--speed, skill, physical play--and it's all without Pastrnak.
Nobody will be happier about the Bruins' turnaround than Jaroslav Halak, who looked shaky in his second start since replacing Tuukka Rask.
The 35-year-old wasn't a total sieve Monday, but the Hurricanes' first two goals resulted from shots he could've saved. Perhaps he caught the trajectory of Williams' effort a little late because of the bodies in front of the net. When it came to Jordan Martinook's tally, he had no excuses.
If Carolina has any chance of overcoming its massive series deficit, Halak might hold the key.
Hurricanes Waste Strong Start
Carolina was without the services of Andrei Svechnikov, who underwent an MRI on Sunday after getting hurt in Game 3. That opened up a spot on the Hurricanes' first line, with coach Rod Brind'Amour giving the nod to Martinook.
The 28-year-old delivered when he scored the Hurricanes' second goal of the game in the second period.
According to the News & Observer's Luke DeCock, Svechnikov had a boot on his right ankle, which isn't a reassuring sign as to his availability for Game 5 and beyond. Getting this kind of effort from Martinook might become more necessary over the remainder of the series.
Justin Williams put Carolina ahead with 9:17 left in the first period.
Heading into the final frame, Carolina looked to be in firm control. Then things started slowly unraveling almost from the minute the period opened.
The Bruins looked like a different team and were the far more aggressive squad. That was never more evident than when Charlie McAvoy laid a big hit on Jordan Staal that sent the Hurricanes forward to the locker room. Moments after that, Clifton delivered the game-tying goal.
Charlie McAvoy trucks Jordan Staal, Hurricanes captain gets up and goes right down the tunnel, Connor Clifton scores, Brad Marchand scores. The Bruins, folks.
From there, a go-ahead score felt inevitable for Boston.
What's Next?
The two teams are back on the ice Wednesday at 4 p.m. ET, with television coverage on NBCSN in the United States.
Sean Kuraly's Short-Handed Goal Leads Bruins Past Hurricanes in Game 3
Aug 15, 2020
Boston Bruins' Charlie Coyle (13) celebrates his goal as Carolina Hurricanes' Jake Gardiner (51) skates away during the third period of an NHL hockey game in Boston, Tuesday, Dec. 3, 2019. (AP Photo/Michael Dwyer)
Despite being without two of their key players, the Boston Bruins beat the Carolina Hurricanes 3-1on Saturday in Game 3 of the Eastern Conference quarterfinals at Scotiabank Arena in Toronto.
Boston took a 2-1 series lead even though goalie Tuukka Rask opted out and left the team to be with his family during the coronavirus pandemic and leading scorer David Pastrnak missed his second consecutive game with an undisclosed issue.
Backup goalie Jaroslav Halak stepped up for the Bruins and made 29saves on 30shots to spearhead Boston's victory, while Charlie Coyle, Sean Kuraly and Brad Marchand scored key goals.
Kuraly's marker was short-handed and turned out to be the game-winner.
Notable Stats
Jaroslav Halak, G, BOS: 29 saves on 30 shots
Petr Mrazek, G, CAR: 36 saves on 38 shots
Charlie Coyle, F, BOS: 1 PPG, 1 AST
Nino Niederreiter, F, CAR: 1 PPG
Sean Kuraly, F, BOS: 1 SHG
Brad Marchand, F, BOS: 1 G, 1 AST
David Krejci, F, BOS: 2 AST
Halak Rises to Occasion in Rask's Absence
The Bruins were dealt a significant blow prior to Saturday's game, as Rask informed them that he was opting out of the remainder of the playoffs to be with his family:
Rask is a two-time All-Star and one-time Vezina Trophy winner, and he was part of the Bruins team that won the Stanley Cup in 2010-11.
Luckily for the Bruins, they were able to turn to an experienced and accomplished backup in Halak. The 35-year-old Halak is a one-time All-Star and two-time William M. Jennings Trophy winner in his own right, and he entered this season with 30 games of playoff experience to his credit.
Halak looked like a seasoned veteran for much of Saturday's game, as he kept the Canes out of the net for the first two periods and made big saves such as this one:
It wasn't until the Bruins led 2-0 in the third period that Halak made a major mistake that shifted the game's momentum.
Halak attempted to clear the puck out of the zone, but he shot it right off Nino Niederreiter, who then put the puck in the empty net to cut Carolina's deficit to 2-1:
It was essentially a rookie mistake for a veteran goalie, and it left him no margin for error, as the Bruins clung to a one-goal lead.
Halak's experience helped him recover and hunker down the rest of the way, however, as he didn't allow another goal and the Bruins held on to take a 2-1 series lead.
With Rask done for the rest of the season, the Bruins will need more similar performances from Halak moving forward in order to vie for the Stanley Cup.
Hurricanes Listless Offensively in Loss
All signs pointed toward momentum being on the Hurricanes' side entering Saturday's Game 3, as they won Game 2 and knew going into Game 3 that the Bruins would be without Rask and Pastrnak.
Boston looked like the far more inspired and desperate team, however, as the Canes struggled to generate quality scoring chances.
The Bruins not only outshot the Hurricanes 39-30, but they also won the faceoff battle 33-25and did all the little things needed to pick up the victory.
Carolina was also the victim of some great plays by Boston, including Coyle's remarkable midair bat of a puck to give the Bruins a 1-0 lead in the second period:
Goaltender Petr Mrazek was essentially the only bright spot with 36 saves on 38 shots, but with only one goal of support, he was saddled with the loss.
Carolina forward Andrei Svechnikov had to be helped off the ice after suffering an injury in the third period as well to add even more negativity to what was a poor overall performance for the team.
If Svechnikov is unable to play in Game 4, it may be advantage Boston even if Pastrnak is out again.
What's Next?
The Hurricanes will look to bounce back and even the series when they face the Bruins in Game 4 on Monday at 8 p.m. ET.
Bruins' Tuukka Rask Opts Out of NHL's Return to Play Amid Pandemic
Aug 15, 2020
Boston Bruins' Tuukka Rask plays during an NHL hockey game against the Philadelphia Flyers, Tuesday, March 10, 2020, in Philadelphia. (AP Photo/Matt Slocum)
Boston Bruins goalie Tuukka Rask announced Saturday that he's opted out of the remainder of the 2020 Stanley Cup playoffs after starting the opening two games of team's first-round series against the Carolina Hurricanes.
Jaroslav Halak will take over as the Bruins' starter for the duration of their postseason run amid the coronavirus pandemic.
Rask missed the first game of the restart Aug. 2 after developing a cough.
"Yeah, I had a cough so I just clicked yes on the app and then all kind of red lights started blinking so I was quarantined for two days," hetold reportersthe following day. "They wanted to do two negative tests after that. That's it. Now I was back today."
The 33-year-old Finland native started Boston's next four games, two in the seeding round followed by the beginning of the Canes series. He posted a 2.57 goals against average and .904 save percentage in those contests.
After Thursday's Game 2 loss, hediscussedstruggling to find motivation within the "bubble" atmosphere at Scotiabank Arena in Toronto, the hub city for the Eastern Conference:
"To be honest with you, it doesn't really feel like playoff hockey out there. There are no fans, so it's kind of like playing an exhibition game. It's definitely not a playoff atmosphere out there. You try and play as hard as you can. When you're playing at a home rink and an away rink and the fans are cheering for and against you, it really creates a buzz for the series.
"There's none of that. So it just feels like dull at times. There are moments when there are scrums and whatnot, and then there will be five minutes when it's coast-to-coast hockey. There's no atmosphere. So it feels like an exhibition game. We're trying our best to ramp and get energized, and make it feel like it's a playoff game."
Rask and his wife, Jasmiina, also have a newborn baby at home, their third daughter, bornin late April.
Meanwhile, Halak is one of the NHL's best backups, and his ascension to the top spot on the depth chart shouldn't significantly alter the Bruins' championship hopes. He compiled an 18-6-6 record with a 2.39 GAA and .919 save percentage in 31 appearances during the regular season.
Maxime Lagace and Dan Vladar are the other netminders on Boston's roster.
Game 3 against the Hurricanes is scheduled for a 12 p.m. ET faceoff Saturday on NBC.
Patrice Bergeron Scores 2OT Winner to Lift Bruins Past Hurricanes in Game 1
Aug 12, 2020
Boston Bruins' Charlie McAvoy (73) defends against Carolina Hurricanes' Andrei Svechnikov (37) during the third period of an NHL hockey game in Boston, Tuesday, Dec. 3, 2019. (AP Photo/Michael Dwyer)
The Boston Bruins scored a 4-3 double-overtime victory over the Carolina Hurricanes in Game 1 of their Eastern Conference first-round playoff series Wednesday at Scotiabank Arena in Toronto.
Patrice Bergeron scored the game-winning goal just over a minute into the second OT period.
A five-overtime marathon between the Tampa Bay Lightning and Columbus Blue Jackets prevented Carolina and Boston from playing their game as scheduled Tuesday night. The face-off was moved to 11 a.m. local time with the NHL using a "bubble" concept to complete its season amid the coronavirus pandemic.
The East is playing its games in Toronto, while the Western Conference hub is Rogers Place in Edmonton. Teams were reseeded after the qualifying round and all series are now using a traditional seven-game format with 16 teams remaining in pursuit of the Stanley Cup.
Notable Stats
Boston Goals: David Pastrnak, Charlie Coyle, David Krejci, Patrice Bergeron
Boston Assists: Pastrnak, Bergeron, Brad Marchand, Charlie McAvoy, Ondrej Kase
Carolina Goals: Joel Edmundson, Brock McGinn, Haydn Fleury
Carolina Assists: Teuvo Teravainen, Sebastian Aho, Vincent Trocheck
Tuukka Rask (BOS): 25 saves
Petr Mrazek (CAR): 36 saves
Bruins Still Shaking Off Hiatus Rust
Boston was the NHL's best team before play was halted March 12 because of the COVID-19 pandemic. Its 44-26-12 record equated to 100 points, six more than their closest competitor, the reigning Stanley Cup champion St. Louis Blues. It also owned the league's best goal differential at plus-53.
The Bruins haven't looked nearly as dominant in the bubble. They lost all their of their seeding games by a combined score of 9-4, which dropped them down to the fourth seed in the East despite their terrific play during the 70 games before the stoppage.
Brad Marchand, who ranked second on the team in scoring with 87 points in the regular season, shrugged off the team's early struggles in the bubble before Game 1.
"I mean, let's call it what it is: They're exhibition games for the playoffs," Marchand told reporters. "It's hard to have the same mentality as a playoff series. So we're not going to base our performance—what it's going be against Carolina—on that."
The Bruins still didn't look anything close to unstoppable Wednesday. It was a back-and-forth game throughout and they benefited from a favorable ruling on their second goal.
They managed to grab the 1-0 series lead, which Hockey Reference notes gives them a 69.6 percent chance to advance, and were able to generate some scoring from outside their elite top line. Both those are positive signs to build off heading into Game 2.
That said, Boston must ultimately find its peak form again to win a championship.
Canes' Goaltending Holds Key To Success
Carolina's advanced statistics ranked near the top of the NHL in recent years. They ranked second in expected goal percentage at even strength during the 2019-20 regular season and carried a positive expected goal share on the power play despite getting just 44.3 percent of the PP time, per Money Puck.
Lackluster play between the pipes has prevented the Hurricanes from becoming a powerhouse, though.
They ranked 16th in save percentage during the regular season (.903) with Petr Mrazek and James Reimer splitting most of the starts in goal.
That tandem combined to post a .955 save percentage during the Canes' three qualifying games against the New York Rangers. The result was a series sweep.
Mrazek couldn't produce that type of performance during regulation Wednesday, stopping 25 of the 28 Bruins' shots (.893), though as mentioned one of Boston's goals was controversial. To his credit, he did step up in overtime to give his team every chance to secure a win.
The offense looked primed for a strong postseason against a Bruins defense that led the NHL in goals against during the regular season (2.4 goals allowed per game).
Whether the Canes can get either of their goalies to play a similar level consistently will probably determine how long their postseason journey lasts.
What's Next?
Game 2 is scheduled for Thursday night at 8 p.m. ET on the NBC Sports Network.
Unidentified Bruins Player Has Recovered After Positive COVID-19 Test Result
Jun 12, 2020
The Boston Bruins logo is seen at center ice before the NHL hockey game between the Boston Bruins and the Florida Panthers in Boston Sunday, April 8, 2018. (AP Photo/Winslow Townson)
The Boston Bruins announced on Friday that an unidentified player who tested positive for COVID-19 has recovered.
Per the team's official statement, the positive test occurred as part of Phase 2 in the NHL's Return to Play Plan. The player has since taken two tests that turned out to be negative.
The Bruins also announced that all of their players "who have returned to this point during Phase 2 have now returned negative test results."
The second phase of the NHL'sreturn plan, which began Monday, allowed teams to reopen their training facilities for players to participate in voluntary workouts.
The league and players associationannouncedon Thursday that Phase 3 with formal training camps for the 24 teams in the postseason will begin July 10.
Last month, NHL Commissioner Gary Bettmanconfirmedthe league would go straight into the playoffs to finish the 2019-20 season. Teams will be divided by conference into two hub cities, with the top four teams in each conference playing a round-robin tournament to determine seeding.
The remaining 16 teams will face off in a best-of-five qualifying round, with clubs matched up by record when the regular season was suspended March 11. Boston owned the NHL's best record (44-26-12, 100 points) when play was suspended.
There remains no date for the postseason to start.
EA Sports' NHL 20 Update Shades Bruins' Brad Marchand over Penalty Shot Mishap
Apr 4, 2020
Boston Bruins' Brad Marchand skates by the puck on a shootout attempt in an NHL hockey game against the Philadelphia Flyers, Monday, Jan. 13, 2020, in Philadelphia. The Flyers won 6-5. (AP Photo/Derik Hamilton)
Just because there's no hockey at the moment doesn't mean there's any reason for a great chirp to go to waste. Especially when it takes aim at one of the league's most noted pests—Boston Bruins winger Brad Marchand.
Back on January 13, in a shootout against the Philadelphia Flyers, Marchand had a chance to keep the game alive with the tying attempt for the Bruins. Except the moment Marchand went to pick up the puck, it slid off his stick, which counted as an official attempt.
Without even getting a shot off, Marchand cost his team the game. EA Sports hasn't forgotten that.
In sending out an update for NHL 20, the video game developer added a note that it fixed a bug related to penalty shots that affects every player in the game except the Bruins' icon.
The update apparently "fixed a case where players other than Marchand would lose the puck at the start of a penalty shot."
EA Sports chirping Brad Marchand in their latest update notes
While fans wait for the NHL to eventually return, it's always nice to see the league come together and celebrate the failures of the one player who has found a way to get under every one of his opponent's skin.
The true moral of the story here is if you play with Boston in NHL 20, make sure to take Marchand out of the shootout lineup, lest he over-skates the puck at the wrong time again.
Bruins Place 68 Full-Time Employees on Temporary Leave, 82 Get Salary Reductions
Mar 25, 2020
MONTREAL, QC - NOVEMBER 26: A detail of the Boston Bruins logo is seen during the third period against the Montreal Canadiens at the Bell Centre on November 26, 2019 in Montreal, Canada. The Boston Bruins defeated the Montreal Canadiens 8-1. (Photo by Minas Panagiotakis/Getty Images)
Delaware North, the ownership company of the Boston Bruins, announced Wednesday there will be "temporary business stabilization measures" put in place April 1 because of the coronavirus pandemic.
The company, led by chairman Jeremy Jacobs, stated 68 of the team's full-time employees will be placed on temporary leave, while 82 others are getting an "indefinite salary reduction."
"As relayed to our associates today, none of these decisions were reached without difficult and painful deliberations," a statement from Delaware North read. "These measures are intended to be temporary with associate employment and compensation returning once our business resumes to its normal state from this unprecedented stoppage."
The 2019-20 NHL season remains indefinitely delayed because of COVID-19.
Boston owned the best record in the NHL at 44-14-12 with 100 points when the season was halted.
NHL commissioner Gary Bettman said on ESPN's Get Up last week the league is focused on "keeping our players safe and setting a good example."
The Bruins will have 12 games left in the regular season if the campaign eventually resumes.
Bruins' Zdeno Chara on Tom Brady Leaving Patriots for Bucs: 'We Feel a Loss'
Mar 22, 2020
BOSTON, MA - SEPTEMBER 17: New England Patriots player Tom Brady, left, and Boston Bruins player Zdeno Chara at the grand opening of the TB12 Performance & Recovery Center on September 17, 2019 in Boston, Massachusetts. (Photo by Scott Eisen/Getty Images)
With the departure of Tom Brady to Tampa Bay, Boston Bruins defenseman Zdeno Chara has suddenly become one of—if not the only—longstanding sports icon in the city.
Sure, Jayson Tatum and Kemba Walker have become the faces of the Celtics, but neither has the history in Boston that Chara does. Now Brady joins the likes of Mookie Betts, David Ortiz and Rob Gronkowski as central sports figures to leave Massachusetts, and it's got Chara nostalgic for the former Pats quarterback.
In an Instagram post on Sunday evening, Chara was finally able to articulate a farewell message to the New England legend.
"It's with sadness and joy I find myself reflecting on the news of my friend and sports legend Tom Brady moving on from the Patriots," Chara wrote. "For New England and its fan base, Tom's departure is a major loss to the role he plays in leading the incredible Patriots. His 20 years have brought us all some of the most memorable moments in sports history. His departure leaves us with mixed feelings. We feel a loss but we also hope that he continues to have an outstanding career.
"Thank you Tom for the best 20 years of New England sports memories. Your leadership, athletic achievements and your contributions to Boston will forever be remembered by many generations. I wish you all the best. We will be watching and cheering you on!"
The Bruins captain has been in Boston since signing there in 2006, and between him and Brady, helped deliver the city countless iconic moments—to say nothing of an unparalleled run of success. As Brady moves on, it's clear his relationship with his fellow star athletes in Bean Town will remain.
With the Bruins moving into first place in the league before the NHL went on hiatus, there's a chance Brady could be back supporting Chara and his teammates again should they make another Stanley Cup run.
