Tuukka Rask.

Elite.

Tuukka Rask is one of the most respected goaltenders within the NHL.

On Oct. 22, Rask played game 500 within the league against the team he was first drafted by in 2005. After the 4-2 win against the Toronto Maple Leafs, Rask was recognized as the seventh goaltender within the league to win 269 games out of 500. If you don’t know much about the guy, let me introduce him to you.

Rask is native of Savonlinna, Finland and had a short career with Toronto. He was acquired by the Boston Bruins in 2006 where he was sent to play in Providence, Rhode Island with the Providence Bruins.

Rask grew within the league beside Tim Thomas, who attended UVM for his college career, and picked up different life and game time lessons from him. He was the backup goalie in 2011 when the Bruins won the Stanley Cup. He received the Vezina Trophy for his 2013-14 season.

Currently, Rask is being recognized as a highly respected goalie within the NHL because of his long and amazing journey during the 2019 Stanley Cup Playoffs. With the B’s having a long playoff run last spring, particularly into the middle of June, fans are surprised to see how well Rask has taken off this season.

Now, I would like to go off on how much I genuinely love this man.

In the beginning, I wasn’t the biggest fan of Rask because of the way that he plays. When an opponent scores, the position you’d see him in most often is him on his knees. It aggravated me at times for the soul reason that it would cost a game here and there. But it’s different now.

Rask utilizes his height and flexibility to his full potential. He’s six feet, three inches and 176 pounds.

So, he’s rather small.

But that’s not the point. He uses it in his favor to move quickly when a shot is faked. Highlights of some of his best saves show him making pad saves. The guy can move fast and do a better split than most. He’s able to extend his legs to the point of saving the puck from crossing over between the pipes purely because of his legs.

So now let me address his incredible ability to snatch a puck out of mid-air. The guy has to compensate for the split just in case that puck gets lifted the slightest bit. During game 500 for Rask in the first period with 1:52 remaining, he made a truly beautiful glove save and continued play.

He makes it look so easy.

I can’t begin to explain to you how much I have realized my love and passion for the NHL because of the Boston Bruins, specifically Rask. Never in my life have I ever felt an overwhelming love for a group of individuals like I do for the Bruins.

Rask has managed to become one of the most well-known goaltenders within the league. With his legendary skill and speed, I would say there’s a chance he will be recognized for his work and I personally hope to see him inducted into the Hockey Hall of Fame.

But I can’t end things there, seeing as my dad will read this, I do acknowledge that it is the beginning of the season. The season could change drastically. But something that won’t change drastically for Rask: my love for him.