The Bruins were supposed to have the goaltending advantage over the Capitals in their first-round series. After a mildly bumpy start, they ultimately did, with Tuukka Rask’s stellar play as the series went on, plus a couple key mistakes from Washington goalie Ilya Samsonov, helping to pave the way for a shorter series than many expected.
After Game 1 and even Game 2, we were collectively debating whether Rask should have stopped a couple of the deflected shots that had beat him in those games. We were wondering whether he was being outplayed by 40-year-old Washington backup Craig Anderson, and whether the Bruins would be better off with rookie Jeremy Swayman in net.
Over the final three games of the series, though, Rask was nails. There was no debate about whether he could be better, or whether he was actually giving the Bruins a goaltending advantage. He stopped 94 of the 98 shots he faced -- good for a .959 save percentage -- in Games 3-5, all Boston wins.
In Sunday night’s closeout win, Rask was at his best, turning aside 40 of 41 as the Capitals more than doubled the Bruins in shots. In the first period, he made an excellent save on a doorstep opportunity for Conor Sheary. He was perfect in a second period in which Washington outshot Boston 20-4.
Just before Patrice Bergeron extended the Bruins’ lead to 3-1 with 7:35 left in the game, Rask denied Tom Wilson and Anthony Mantha on a pair of chances off the rush. When it appeared the Capitals had scored a second goal, replay quickly made it clear that Rask had only been beat because he had been interfered with, and the goal was overturned.
“He’s unbelievable. As soon as that second goal that was disallowed, I knew it was going to be interference because it’s just incredible, he’s never out of position,” said David Pastrnak. “So he’s been standing on his head this series and we’re obviously lucky to have him behind us.”
According to Natural Stat Trick, Rask saved 10 of the 11 high-danger shots he faced in Game 5. Expected goals were 3.59-1.88 in favor of the Capitals, meaning Rask saved 2.59 goals above expected. The only goalies who have registered more goals saved above expected than Rask in the first round are Vegas’ Marc-Andre Fleury and Winnipeg’s Connor Hellebuyck.
“Tuukka worked hard to see pucks, and I think we worked hard to sort of push bodies out of there so he could see pucks,” said coach Bruce Cassidy. “…He just seemed very composed in there and sure of himself. It makes it easier I think for everybody when you see your goalie completely under control and it looks like they’re not going to get a pea by him for the most part.”
At the other end of the ice, Samsonov gave up a back-breaking goal against the run of play late in the second period as Bergeron made it 2-0 on a shot where Samsonov never really got set. It was a good shot, but one that was stoppable. Samsonov was mostly very good in this series, but that goal and his miscommunication with defenseman Justin Schultz on Craig Smith’s double-overtime winner in Game 3 were the kinds of mistakes Rask just didn’t make in this series.
If you’re making a list of the reasons the Bruins won this series, and won it in five games, Rask has to be at or near the top. And if you’re starting to look ahead to the second round, it’s looking like Rask should give Boston a goaltending edge over either the Penguins or Islanders, too.
Pittsburgh’s Tristan Jarry has given up four goals in three of the four games in the East Division’s other first-round series, including several on savable shots. The Islanders have already changed goalies twice, with rookie Ilya Sorokin (who has been very good in two games, it should be noted) appearing to usurp Semyon Varlamov for the time being.
There will be those who continue to argue that nothing Rask does matters until the Stanley Cup Final. But you have to win three rounds to get there, and Rask just played a major role in the Bruins winning one of them.
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