Rask Stones Devils As Bruins Extend Streak

BOSTON - The Bruins did not have their best start on Tuesday night. New Jersey, on the second night of a back-to-back, came out of the gates with plenty left in the tank and pumped 20 pucks on Tuukka Rask.
The 20 shots allowed were the most the Bruins have surrendered in any period since Feb. 2016 (21 in the second period against Los Angeles). The volume of the Devils' attacking time and opportunities easily could have left Boston in a multi-goal hole.
But Rask had other ideas.

The ace netminder turned back all 20 shots with ease. And for the night, Rask made 37 stops to - despite twice falling behind by a goal - pace the Bruins to a 3-2 victory over the Devils at TD Garden. The win extended the team's points streak to 17 games, Boston's longest such stretch since 1982-83 (15-0-2).
"He was awesome. We didn't have a good start and Tuukka was unbelievable in the first period for us," said David Pastrnak. "It could have easily been 3-0 for them, but he made some great saves. It's hard when you're waiting for a team coming off a back-to-back…we knew it was coming.
"That's why we have Tuukka and he got us going."
While that frantic first period led to a flurry of Rask stops, it was his third-period heroics that were the difference. The 30-year-old Fin stoned Damon Severson's back-to-back breakaway attempts around the 12-minute mark of the closing frame to keep the Bruins up by a goal.
"I think quality saves were more late. I think early on there was a lot of volume of shots. I think their game plan was clearly funnel everything to the net, see what happens," said Bruins coach Bruce Cassidy. "I thought Tuukka was our best player."

The victory also extended Rask's personal points streak to 17 games. He has not lost in regulation since Nov. 15 (15-0-2), the 4-2 setback to the Anaheim Ducks that led to four straight starts for Anton Khudobin.
"I really feel the same. I think our team is playing really great hockey and a lot of that credit goes to them," said Rask. "As long as your team plays good then you have a chance to look good, too. I think that's the biggest reason."
After shutting the door on the Devils in the first period, Rask surrendered the game's first goal to Miles Wood just 2:05 into the second, setting off a wild middle period. Some five minutes later, Riley Nash knotted the game when he threw a shot towards the net that tipped off Sami Vatanen in front and by Cory Schneider at 7:03.
Severson gave the Devils back the lead two minutes after that, before Patrice Bergeron once again tied the game with a one-time, 5-on-3 tally off a Brad Marchand feed from the slot at 12:53.
"He finds that dead area there a lot and then he practices it a lot," Rask said of Bergeron. "It's tough when that defenseman is kind of screening the goalie there and he finds a way to get it by the defenseman and the goalie can't see it, then chances are it's going to go in. But he practices it a lot. He's one of those guys that is always trying to find ways to get better."

The tally preceded mass confusion as the officials tried to fix an issue with the scoreboard that had the penalty clocks ticking upward. A delay of nearly 15 minutes ensued.
"I mean we're just sitting around kind of dancing to the music a little bit, watching the people in the stands and trying to stay warm," said Brandon Carlo. "I think it's a positive attitude on this bench right now and we tried to keep it that way through the 13 minutes there."
Boston was unable to take advantage on nearly two minutes of further power-play time, but momentum had shifted. And with 33 seconds to go in the period, Marchand struck with a filthy dangle around Schneider to put the Bruins ahead for good.
"I was looking for [David Krejci] originally, then he took him away and I just tried to make a move. I got lucky a bit, but it worked out," said Marchand.

New Jersey pushed again in the third landing 12 more shots - to the Bruins 4 - but Rask was there to shut them down.
"It was just one of those games where you have to battle a little more," said Rask. "Just trying to keep the puck out."
A simple formula. And one that has been working just fine for the last eight weeks.

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