Boston Bruins: Why Tuukka Rask is the best goalie in franchise history

Tuukka Rask might be one of the most polarizing athletes in all of Boston sports, but there is no denying that he is a Boston Bruins legend.

Rask has made it commonplace to bail the Bruins out of games with his amazing saves. He is able to lay out and be there when Boston needs him.

In 2021, Rask continued to play well. He went 15-5-2 with a 2.28 goals against average and a save percentage of .913. This was coming off a season where Rask boasted a 28-8-6 record with a league leading 2.12 goals against average

This isn’t to say that Rask had his struggles. He had some injury issues that kept him out of some regular season games and had fans wondering if he would be ready for the playoffs.

But so far Rask has been lights out in the Stanley Cup Playoffs. He has done everything that you could ask of your goaltender including making some highlight reel saves.

Still there was something special about Game Four. It was the game where Rask would pass a B’s legend and therefore solidify his place in franchise history.

Rask passed Gerry Cheevers for the most playoff victories in Boston’s history. It’s almost comical to think that skeptics question Rask’s ability to perform in big games.

Cheevers is a Bruins legend in his own right. He is almost a gold standard that all goaltenders in Boston are compared to.

But with respect to Cheevers, he is no longer the best goalie in Boston Bruins history. That honor now belongs to Tuukka Rask.

Why Tuukka Rask is best Boston Bruins goaltender of all time.
The most recent record breaker is the cherry on top, but Rask’s stats speak for themselves. He’s a two time All-Star and won the Vezina Trophy. In his career, he has amassed over 300 wins with a 2.27 goals against average and a .921 save percentage.

One day Rask will have his number retired. There is no doubt about that and this is a franchise that carefully selects who goes up in the rafters, unlike the organization that also plays at TD Garden. While Cheevers was great, his No.30 was not retired. Cheevers of course ended up in the Hockey Hall of Fame and he will one day be joined by Rask.

At this point, it doesn’t even matter if Rask leads Boston to a Stanley Cup before the end of his career. He has done enough to sit atop of the Bruins goaltending mountain. Winning a cup would only solidify just how great Rask is.

So while I can only imagine what some people are thinking, ==Tuukka Rask== is the best goaltender in Boston Bruins history. It really isn’t up for debate.

New England Patriots: Critical offseason grades post-NFL Draft

New England Patriots free agency
Second, free agency is not usually a very active aspect of team development under Belichick. This year, that all changed. That Patriots were a losing team last year. They didn’t make the playoffs.

They also kicked the all-time-best quarterback in NFL history to the curb and he won yet another Super Bowl with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. Changes were due and changes were made.

In an uncharacteristically energetic approach, the Patriots signed solid payers early and often in free agency.

Offensive additions

On offense, the team made a huge splash in the tight end market adding Jonnu Smith from Tennessee and Hunter Henry from the LA Chargers. The pair were arguably the best available on the free-agent market.

Together they caught 101 passes. Each blew away on their own the poor Patriots’ tights ends’ total production last season and the best of that group, Ryan Izzo was traded. That speaks volumes about Belichick’s satisfaction with last year’s grouping. This was a massive upgrade.

At wide receiver, The team also went hard on two solid receivers, Nelson Agholor caught 48 passes with eight TD’s for the Raiders last season. This was solid but not great production.

Kendrick Bourne caught 49 with two TD’s for the 49ers. Again, this was not overwhelming but solid. They will likely start or one will along with Jakobi Meyers at wide receiver.

This was an OK haul but it could have been better by doubling down on one top receiver on the market rather than two middling types. The reviews were mixed here. But with Julian Edelman’s retirement, they needed solid NFL receivers and they got two. So this was an OK job.

Overall, the additions on offense were superlative.

A solid A there.

New England Patriots: Mac Jones has already impressed LB Josh Uche

Second-year linebacker Josh Uche spoke with the media today, and told a story summarizing rookie New England Patriots quarterback Mac Jones.

They played each other on the first day of 2020 in the Citrus Bowl. At the time, Uche was a LB for Michigan, and of course, Mac Jones was quarterbacking the Alabama Crimson Tide.

throughout the game, Uche was a problem. He disturbed the pocket time and time again, putting multiple pressures on Jones. Even getting in a good lick from behind the quarterback, putting Jones on his backside.

At some point in the game, Mac had blood in his mouth from a split molar. He never left the field.

Despite being under pressure most of the day, and having to deal with his future teammate living in the pocket, Jones would go on to throw for 3 touchdowns (2 in the second half to put the game away), along with over 300 yards through the air.

New England Patriots QB Mac Jones is one tough cookie
During his press conference, Uche had this to say:

“It was cool to see him. He was a tough kid, man. He was standing in that pocket. I remember a couple of times I hit him, I’m like, ‘I know he’s not getting up.’ It was a dime the next play, so happy he’s on our team.”

So far this offseason, it does’t sound like Uche is the first and only one to be impressed with the young quarterback.

According to reports, the Patriots coaching staff has been “blown-away” by Mac Jones so far. His intelligence, accuracy, and leadership has already made an impact at Rookie Mini-Camp. And according to these photos, OC Josh McDaniels has been keeping a close eye on the QB.

Most of the roster will get a look at the future starting next week, as OTAs begin May 24th.

The 10 practices in the OTA window are not mandatory, but most people expect to see a good chunk of the roster. Here are the exact dates of the upcoming Patriots schedule.

 Most of the roster will get a look at the future starting next week, as OTAs begin May 24th.

The 10 practices in the OTA window are not mandatory, but most people expect to see a good chunk of the roster. Here are the exact dates of the upcoming Patriots schedule.

 The New England Patriots have wrapped up a big portion of their 2021 offseason where the success or lack thereof will largely fashion their next season.

After a dismal season (for them) finishing 7-9, the Patriots have addressed their roster in a more aggressive manner in 2021.

This observer feels they approached this offseason in a more assertive manner than maybe ever before, and certainly it seemed the most hawkish in the Bill Belichick era.

The question to be asked is, just how well did they perform, thus far?

Note: since we will not know definitively for months, let’s take a good look anyway. Any and all observations are of course premature since the outcome of any offseason is largely unknown until it is observed how well the players brought into the team perform.

Yet, if you bring in tested NFL players in free agency, the chances are higher that you’ll do well. Then, of course, you can have trades.

The draft is an exercise of a different nature. It’s a crapshoot at best. Great picks can come early or late and draft busts can be the same. You just never know.

Those are the facts of the matter unless your team brings in a player named Tom Brady. Yet, that eventuality has only happened to two teams since 2000.

Grading the New England Patriots offseason to-date
New England Patriots trades

First, let’s start with trades for players. To date, only one trade moves the needle on the meter and it’s a big meter and a big move. The singular best offseason move of all by the 2021 Patriots may just be the trade of swapping draft picks with Las Vegas for offensive tackle, Trent Brown.

Brown is simply a terrific acquisition, albeit only on a one-year contract. Yet, his potential value cannot be overestimated. He’s a difference-maker.

The team’s left tackle in 2018 on their last Super Bowl-winning team, Brown is a huge man and a huge asset. He may be played at right tackle (not his best position for the Patriots) but wherever he plays he will perform well.

Brown had a serious bout last season with Covid-19 limiting his season to five games. (Thanks to a reader for enlightening on this.) If he is fully healthy, he will be a force to be reckoned with.

So that leaves the grade on trades at A+++. They don’t get too much better than the trade for Trent Brown.

New England Patriots rumors: Trade for Julio Jones could re-shape AFC

New England Patriots rumors: Trade for Julio Jones could re-shape AFC

“Among the teams that could fall into these categories: Ravens, 49ers, Patriots, Colts and Chargers,” Schultz speculated. “One league source said the Titans also may show interest, but they also are close to the cap ceiling.”

Jones is a terrific wide receiver. The Patriots at present do not have a terrific wide receiver and haven’t since the 2019 version of Julian Edelman.

They have not really done much to remedy that situation. They signed two NFL-worthy wide receivers in Nelson Agholor and Kendrick Bourne.

Yet, unless one or both has an explosion of production they are essentially 50+ catch receivers. That’s good, but not what the Patriots need at this point, which is great.

Julio Jones could make the New England Patriots contenders
Let’s face facts, the 2020 version of the New England Patriots post-No. 12 was not good.

In 2020, they fell behind former also-rans Buffalo (now a very good operation with a great young coach by the way) and Miami with a former Patriots de facto defensive coordinator (without the title and maybe the dough? Odd.) now running the show.

In this very good offseason, the team has made a statement. We are not happy (thanks once more, Mr. Kraft) and have been very aggressive as Tom Curran asserted early in their off-season moves. Great.

Yet, this team remains deficient in one major commodity, a great No. 1 wide receiver. Even with the signings of Agholor and Bourne, they still fall short, way short.

Get Jones and it remedies that situation. If this is in fact a redemption year for the team and more poignantly their football majordomo, Bill Belichick, then this is the move to make.

After allowing his most prized possession to flee the coop, Belichick went down the proverbial NFL tubes last season and failed his first post TB test. He flu