B’s Rask rolls with changes
MIDDLETON — The last time we spoke to goalie Tuukka Rask, Peter Chiarelli was still the general manager of the Bruins, the team possessed one of the NHL’s top young defensemen in Dougie Hamilton and it had a player who boasted a unique combination of skill and toughness in winger Milan Lucic.
Things have changed, with Hamilton and Lucic gone and the Bruins having made a bit of a splash in free agency and the trade market up front by signing Matt Beleskey and dealing Reilly Smith for Jimmy Hayes.
“It’s been interesting,” Rask said before participating in the Shawn Thornton Foundation Putts and Punches for Parkinson’s Golf Tournament yesterday at Ferncroft Country Club. “Obviously, it’s been a busy summer. I’ve been following somewhat and I think the Boston Bruins as an organization has been in the news more than usual. I think it was somewhat expected that things were going to change and it’s time to move on.”
One of the changes that new GM Don Sweeney wants to implement is having the Bruins transition the puck quicker than in the past. Just how successful the B’s are in that endeavor will impact the type of action Rask sees in goal.
“The league and the game’s changing,” Rask said. “There are always trends and I guess you’re trying to go with it and then set your own standards, too. That’s something we feel we need to improve on. When it comes to goaltending, I may have to play the puck a little more and move the puck up the ice and stuff like that. But my job never changes. I just try to stop the puck and stay out of the tactical stuff. But it will be interesting to see, because obviously it will be different.”
Hamilton decided to use his leverage as a restricted free agent to force a trade out of town. Count Rask as one of the many people in the organization who did not see that coming.
“I was surprised and I think everybody was surprised,” Rask said. “There’s always the truth somewhere, and I haven’t heard what happened. But if he felt like he had to move on, he had to move on. All the best to him. I (thought) he felt comfortable with everybody, but what you feel deep inside is a different thing. And he felt like he needed to move on.”
Rask feels the team will still be strong on the back end.
“You’re always looking to improve and to get the best team, and the best defensive team out there possible,” he said. “I don’t think there’s a reason to worry. I haven’t been worried. I think we’re going to be very good on that side of things, then adding some size to the offense, adding some grit to the offense is a good thing, too.”
The Bruins do not have a clear-cut No. 2 goalie behind Rask. Jeremy Smith appears to be the leading candidate, with Malcolm Subban and Zane McIntyre also in the competition. Sweeney also has not ruled out bringing in a veteran backup. Last season, it was the team’s lack of faith in backup Niklas Svedberg that led to Rask playing a career-high 70 games, which was not ideal.
“I’m sure things are going to sort out. There are good young guys wanting to battle for a spot on the roster,” Rask said. “Whoever it’s going to be, I’m sure they’re going to be very capable. We’ll see how it plays out, but I’m sure there’s no reason to worry.”
Rask said he didn’t have any lasting physical effects from playing so many games.
“It’s mentally draining when you’re battling for that playoff spot and you play a lot of games in a row. You always feel kind of exhausted afterward,” he said. “But when you do nothing for a week or two, you’re kind of like ‘All right, let’s play hockey again.’ You’re rejuvenated.”
The B’s are just a few weeks away from reconvening to open training camp ahead of the 2015-16 campaign. And for the first time in a while, the outside expectations for the team are not high. Rask wasn’t ready to make any bold predictions, but said that team wouldn’t be bothered with prognostications.
“I think we’ve been through so many different scenarios in past years that people put us up on a pedestal and pick us as the favorites, and maybe now it’s not necessarily the case,” Rask said. “We know where we stand and when we talk as a team and we practice and play as a team, we just try to focus on our own thing and not focus on what people on the outside say. But I think our approach has always been that we’re doing our thing, we’ll do as good as we can and see where it leads us.”