Boston Bruins Tuukka Rask yearning for Lifetime Opportunity as Lockout Persists -NHL Special
After five seasons of hard work with the Boston Bruins, Tuukka Rask was ready to take on the challenge of leading a team like Boston after Tim Thomas announced to taking off next season to spend time with family and friends.
It was huge for Rask, who is definitely one of the most underrated goalies in the National Hockey League (NHL), and when the lockout came into force, it was not hard to see how heartbroken he just was.
Three months have nearly gone by and still no hockey for the 25-year-old goalie looking for a breakthrough season, but after 13 games in the Czech Republic and being one of the few net minders to have found an opportunity abroad, he is feeling great and
hopes for a labour deal sooner than later.
Playing for HC Plzen in the Czech hockey league, Rask did not disappoint at all and kept sharp by registering a .936 save percentage and an even better 1.85 goals-against average, definitely showing that rust has not touched the young goalie just yet.
"I feel great physically," Rask said, according to csnne.com. "It was a good experience for me. It was pretty fast-paced and offense oriented with a lot of odd-man rushes, 2-on-1s and 3-on-2s . . . so I got plenty of work. It was exactly what I needed to
do to get ready while waiting for things to get worked out here."
Missing last season’s playoffs due to an abdomen injury, veteran goalie Tim Thomas was left to guide the Boston Bruins all alone. He tried his best but Washington Capitals and their fresh goalie, Braden Holtby, were just too much for the 2011 Stanley Cup
champions, ousting them right in the opening round of the 2012 NHL Playoffs.
Rask was drafted by the Toronto Maple Leafs as the 21st overall back in round-one of the 2005 NHL Entry Draft. At a monstrous 6-foot-3 and 169 pounds, Rask is not your average NHL goalie and certainly is able to easily intimidate the opposition
when looking to score past the Finnish native.
“I came back because I think this is around the time when the decision will get made one way or the other,” added Rask. “I didn’t want to have to rush back to the United States and jump right into training camp if I stayed over in Europe. I got some games
in and now I can rest up a bit hopefully for a season.”
Hopefully, the season will get going later on this month or at the turn of the year as Rask looks forward to staying ready for it and the Boston Bruins can definitely count on getting their worth for every penny invested on Rask when they signed him on to
a new, one-year, $3.5 million deal this past offseason.
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