With the 2019- 2020 regular season officially over, a few Bruins players finished in elite company.
David Pastrnak will share the Maurice Richard Trophy with Alexander Ovechkin, as the two were tied for the league lead in goals with 48.
While Pastrnak continued to become one of the NHL’s rising stars, his veteran teammate in Tuukka Rask finished in the top five of every goalie statistic. As the Bruins look towards the postseason, Rask’s regular season performance has made him one of the front-runners for the Vezina Trophy.
The veteran goaltender finished the season with a 26-8-6 record in 41 starts. Rask led the league with a GAA of 2.12 and his save percentage of .929 was the second-best among all goaltenders. The former first-round pick also finished tied for second in shutouts with five, which was his highest total in three seasons.
Additionally, Rask ranked third among goalies in quality save percentage and first amongst goalies that have played in at least 35 games. The veteran netminder also leads the league with a .939 save percentage at even strength.
Happy birthday to everyone's favorite elite Bruins goaltender, Tuukka Rask #NHLBruinspic.twitter.com/HNEzY1ySqs
— Mike Cratty (@Mike_Cratty) March 10, 2020
What makes Rask’s season so impressive is how he has performed despite a shortened season. Before the regular season was canceled, the Bruins still had 12 games left on their schedule. Rask only needed to make four more starts to match his total from last season and had significantly better statistics.
While Rask’s season has been impressive, he also has competition in the form of Connor Hellebuyck. The Jets’ netminder finished just one spot behind Rask in save percentage but also appeared in 17 more games. Hellebuyck ranks fourth in wins but only recorded three shutouts. The former fifth-round pick also leads the league in games played with 58.
Birthday Boy Tuukka Rask making it look easy #NHLBruins pic.twitter.com/QnJldrwrFp
— Bruins Diehards (@BruinsDiehards) March 10, 2020
With voting still months away, Rask is expected to receive a lot of attention. While he ranks 18th in games played, the netminder can be found everywhere across the leaderboards. Regardless of how the voting ends, Rask and backup goalie Jaroslav Halak will be taking home the William M. Jennings Trophy, which is awarded to the goalie tandem that has allowed the least amount of goals.
Furthermore, Rask led the Bruins to the best record in the NHL this season. If Rask does win the Vezina, it will be the second of his career. As the Bruins begin their playoff push, Rask has once again proven to be among the league’s best.
