With a 1-0 win over the Washington Capitals, Tuukka Rask moved past Tiny Thompson for the most wins as a member of the Boston Bruins.
Rask had recently returned from missing time with a concussion in the game against the New York Rangers on Jan. 19 in which Filip Chytil collided with him after scoring a goal.
Tuukka Rask Tops Boston Bruins Wins List
Win number 253
Rask got the nod in the game against the Caps three days after his 3-2 loss in overtime against the Philadelphia Flyers. Rask’s 39-save win against Washington snapped the team’s 14-game winless streak against the defending Cup champions.
Tiny Thompson
Thompson was one of the earliest goaltenders the Bruins had. He began in 1929 and finished with Boston in 1939. In 468 games, Thompson recorded a 1.99 goals-against average. Although his record no longer stands as of Sunday, it is an important honour that Thompson, who died in 1981 at the age of 77, accomplished this in only 11 seasons with the club.
Rask Stepping Up
Rask, who has been on the team since 2008, was not the immediate starter and had challenges to face in his 12 seasons. He had to split time, and eventually accept that Tim Thomas was going to lead the team until Thomas departed at the end of the 2011-12 season. He watched from the bench as Thomas won the Conn Smythe, leading the Bruins to the 2011 Stanley Cup.
From then on, he has been the Bruins top goaltender. Despite not winning a Stanley Cup (as a starter), he has been the best option for the Bruins since he was called upon to be the starter.
What’s Next for Rask
While this is an outstanding achievement for the Finnish goaltender, he still has to focus on winning a Cup as the Bruins starter to help solidify him as one of the best goaltenders to play the game. He came close in 2013 but hasn’t been back to that position since.
Rask has been playing much, much better than he was at the beginning of the season before suffering the concussion. The accomplishment may help him stay on track as the playoff picture begins to take shape.
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