Few athletes in Boston produce more passionate opinions/hot takes than Bruins goaltender Tuukka Rask.
Whether you think Rask is overrated, underrated or properly rated, it's hard to deny he's a top 10 goalie in the NHL, but where exactly does he fall on the list of the league's best netminders? NHL Network has been ranking the top players at every position throughout the summer, and goaltender was the final list to be revealed.
Rask comes in at No. 5 on the network's list. Here's the full ranking:
Rask's regular season stats last season were just OK. He posted a 27-13-5 record with a .912 save percentage and a 2.48 goals against average. Thanks to backup goalie Jaroslav Halak playing well and allowing Rask to only suit up for 46 games, the Finnish netminder was fresh for the playoffs, where he excelled for Boston.
Rask tallied a .934 save percentage and a 2.02 goals against average as the Bruins went all the way to Game 7 of the 2019 Stanley Cup Final before having their season end in heartbreaking fashion with a loss at home to the St. Louis Blues. Rask was the best goaltender in the playoffs, but unfortunately for him, he had one of his worst performances of the 24-game run in Game 7 of the Cup Final.
The Bruins still have one of the most talented and deepest teams in the league. They remain, barring injuries, among the top three or four Stanley Cup contenders entering the 2019-20 season. For the Bruins to get back to the Cup Final, Rask must build on his strong 2019 postseason run and help Boston earn the highest seed possible for the 2020 Stanley Cup playoffs. He hasn't had an elite regular season since his Vezina Trophy-winning campaign of 2013-14.
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