WILMINGTON, Mass. – It’s been quite the month for Jonas Gustavsson.
The 31-year-old agreed to a veteran tryout agreement with the Boston Bruins, and with it a chance to compete for the Boston backup goaltending gig behind Tuukka Rask. But Gustavsson also knew his wife’s due date for their first child was smack in the middle of training camp, and could potentially represent an unintentional road block toward winning a job.
It was never much of a choice for the Swedish veteran netminder, however, as he missed a preseason game originally slated for him last week against the Rangers. Gustavsson left the team for a couple of days to be with his wife and baby girl in Detroit, and then reconnected with the team at the end of last weekend.
In Gustavsson’s mind, the choice of family over job opportunity was a no-brainer for a first time father watching his child brought into the world.
“It was my first one. So it was an exciting couple of days, and everything went smoothly,” said Gustavsson, who said he and his wife hadn’t yet settled on a name quite yet. “Everyone is healthy, so we’re excited. We knew coming into camp that if the baby wasn’t born before camp then I’d be gone for a day or two in camp.
“It’s something we knew. Hockey is obviously important, but I feel like family always comes first. I went out there, and then flew back with the team from Detroit. So it worked out well there. I guess I was supposed to play that game against the Rangers at home, but we all knew the day [of the baby’s birth] would come sooner or later. I’m just glad things went well, and I can focus on hockey now.”
In the meantime both Malcolm Subban and Zane McIntyre were cut from training camp, and that means the backup spot is down to an open competition between Gustavsson and Jeremy Smith. Smith allowed three goals on 25 shots in a home shootout win over the Rangers last week, and played well late after a very shaky first couple of periods.
Boston Bruins
Now Gustavsson will get his chance with a full game against the New York Rangers at Madison Square Garden on Wednesday night, and that very well could be his last chance to make a statement with B’s coaches and management.
“I’m just trying to get better every time I go out there,” said Gustavsson. “I just go out and try to help the team win a game, and then everything else will sort itself out. You can’t worry about what’s going to happen if I do this, or if I do that. My part in this is to go out there and be the best goalie I can be, and try to push myself to the next level.”
A dominant performance could win him an NHL job behind Rask for the balance of this season, and an uneven effort would leave the decision strictly at the mercy of Bruins decision-makers who have seen far less of Gustavsson than Smith.