Tuukka Rask is constantly the subject of criticism from Boston Bruins' fans, but the goaltender is staying positive ahead of the 2019-20 season.
Rask admitted Tuesday that he does listen to sports radio, and has recognized that sometimes he's the topic of discussion. But he doesn't let that get to him.
“Listening to sports radio, and all they’re talking about is Pats. They win a game and it’s still not good enough,” Rask said according to The Boston Herald's Steve Conroy. “I know how this city operates and for us athletes, hockey players, it doesn’t really matter. We’re just out here having fun, trying to play for each other.”
When looking back on his 2019 Stanley Cup Playoff run, Rask admitted that he thought he played well but emphasized that it takes a team effort to win the NHL's most prized possession.
“I was happy the way I played. I was preparing myself as good as I could have, and then I played solid hockey. We played as a team. We played great hockey and we fell one short,” Rask said. “Personally, I’ve been there before when we lost in Game 6 (against Chicago in 2013), so it’s nothing new for me. But every year is a new year, and new doubters come in. But outside noise, it doesn’t really matter to us. We just try to play good as a team and grow as a team.”
Rask would like to start out the season much better than he did last year, but said it's still a work in progress.
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“It’s a long season. It’s a work in progress,” Rask said. “I think throughout the league, the scoring is probably up in the first month or two months. Teams have had breaks from games and their systems are not where they want them to be. Obviously, goalies might be victimized on that a little bit. But as long as you know the mistakes you’ve made and how you want to correct them, then that’s all you can really do. No one’s going to be perfect in the first couple of games. It’s a work in progress. I’m just trying to go out there and give us a chance to win and keep working at it.”
As for if he'll get out to a hot start, we'll find out Thursday when the Bruins take on the Dallas Stars at 8 p.m. ET in Texas.
“We’ll see. I try to stop every puck. I felt good (in training camp). We’ll see Thursday. I don’t want to suck out there, but sometimes you do,” Rask said with his trademark smirk. “Then you just keep battling. I’ve been on both sides of it, so I’m not too worried about it, either.”
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