The Boston Bruins got absolutely sucker-punched by the defending champion, Washington Capitals in the season opener by a final score of 7-0 Wednesday night.
Welcome to the 2018-19 NHL season, Tuukka Rask. The offenses are faster, and much more talented than they were when you came to the league. There is a lovely saying out there that runs along the lines of ‘adapt or die’ and you have seen your own teammates follow this mantra. So what makes you think you can do nothing about your game and expect to compete?
Last night should’ve been incredibly humbling for you.
Rask is always prone to the Opening Night stink-fest, but last night was a whole other level of suck. Not only did it take just two shots on goal for T.J. Oshie to pot the first goal of the season just 24 seconds in, but the pain continued. Rask wound up allowing four more goals on his next eighteen shots before being lifted for Jaroslav Halak halfway through the second period.
Not only that, but out of the final three shots on goal that Rask faced, all of them found the back of the net. Many shots beat Rask but hit the post so it didn’t register as a shot on goal.
The Bruins are paying Rask $7 million per year to keep them in games when they’re not physically ready for the alpha dogs of the NHL. You may not win, but you have to compete. You can not go out and get waxed in the fashion Rask did last night.
In his career against Washington, he is 1-11-5… so, in essence, he’s 1-16 against the Capitals. On top of that, he is 10-15-3 against the Canadiens—an inflated record because of the string of mediocrity of the Canadiens the past few years.
So for Rask, Bruins fans have two words for you—WAKE UP! You’re far too important to the success of this hockey team to completely implode against the best of the best. It cannot happen, and as the third highest paid goalie in hockey, it is just unacceptable.
Wake up.
