Boston sports are on an all-time high in the last couple of months. Things have never been better. Unfortunately, Tuukka Rask is always there to bring you back down to earth.
Tuukka is at the lowest point in his career since the Flyers collapse in 2010. He was thrust in a tough situation back then. At this point in his career, he and the team can’t have this lack of production.
His bad play has been a running storyline his whole career, even when it was unwarranted. Now it is entirely warranted and the situation continues to grow into an issue on and off the ice.
BREAKING: @NHLBruins' @tuukkarask taking a leave of absence related to a personal matter. More on #Boston25 News: https://t.co/55x9DyUIPB #NHL #Bruins #BostonBruins pic.twitter.com/2N0aUUpYGu
— Boston 25 News (@boston25) November 9, 2018
The hard part as a Tuukka defender most of his career is he’s leaving me very little wiggle room for a spin zone. The only thing I can think of is whatever he’s taking leave for may be a factor in his on-ice performance. That take doesn’t hold much weight at the moment. That’s in part to Tuukka’s postgame comments after a drubbing Thursday night.
Tuukka Rask: "Just one of those games I guess. I was trying to just keep it under 10 goals to be honest with you"
— Joe Haggerty (@HackswithHaggs) November 9, 2018
This absolutely cannot be your take on the game in which Tuukka absolutely mailed in with plays like this:
Tuukka Rask with an absolutely inexcusable jimbo to gift the Canucks a shorthanded goal pic.twitter.com/hUR5Rr5HlA
— Pete Blackburn (@PeteBlackburn) November 9, 2018
You’re throwing in the towel if this is your best effort at goaltending, plain and simple.
Don Sweeny addressed the matter of Tuukka’s leave of absence in a presser Friday.
🎥 #NHLBruins general manager Don Sweeney addresses the media regarding Tuukka Rask, as well as the health of Charlie McAvoy: pic.twitter.com/Ue9yOEPiMS
— Boston Bruins (@NHLBruins) November 9, 2018
If you watch the whole video, you can at least have a silver lining with this team and that’s McAvoy being back on the ice.
Aside from that tidbit of news, the Bruins are in a very uncomfortable position. There’s too much talent in the NHL and in their conference in particular to play the way they have been. They need Tuukka whether you like it or not. Hopefully this leave gives him time to sort out whatever is goin on in his life and he can come back and begin salvaging his season. If not it could be a long year in the Bruins crease.
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Feature Image via Boston Globe