There was something extra in the air at TD Garden on Thursday night. Yes, the Bruins were playing the Flyers, which is always a terrific matchup. But there was something a bit more.<\/p>\n
That something was the return of Tuukka Rask to the Boston net.<\/p>\n
From the start of warmups, through introductions and throughout the game itself, Rask’s first night as goalie again gave the crowd an extra jolt that a mid-January crowd might not normally have.<\/p>\n
Rask’s play, plus a number of other factors, contributed to the Bruins 3-2 win over the Flyers.<\/p>\n
Here are the three biggest takeaways.<\/p>\n
Will this go down as one of Tuukka Rask’s most memorable performances? No, he didn’t get nearly enough shots for that to be the case and it’s a mid-January game against the Flyers. Was he really good? Absolutely. Did the TD Garden crowd treat everything he did as the greatest thing ever? Oh yes.<\/p>\n
Rask was his usual self in between the pipes. He was poised. He was consistently square to the shooter. One of the first shots he faced came from the point and he never saw it. But because he was well-positioned, the puck went off his pad and away from danger.<\/p>\n
He had two key breakaway saves in the second period. The first came on Joel Farabee. The Flyers forward faked shot, went to his backhand and tried to slide it through the five-hole, but Rask stayed centered and the puck was stopped.<\/p>\n
\nTuukka Rask stops Joel Farabee on the breakaway attempt:<\/p>\n
pic.twitter.com\/zoEDeaDPWV<\/a><\/p>\n
— Conor Ryan (@ConorRyan_93) January 14, 2022<\/a><\/p><\/blockquote>\n