Rask Hopes to Help Finland Win a Medal in Sochi
Tuukka Rask is eager to play well for his country in the Sochi Winter Olympics. Rask begins his Olympics quest for Finland this week in Group B. The group consists of Finland, Austria, Canada and Norway.
Ironically, Rask will be playing against his current head coach with the Boston Bruins Claude Julien. Julien is an assistant coach for Canada.
Rask this season for the Bruins has five shutouts, which is first in the NHL. He has a save percentage of .928, which is fifth and a 2.11 goals against average, which is eighth.
Rask said even though he has had a tough schedule during the NHL season for Boston that he is fresh. There is no certainty how much he will play as his Finland team is strong in the net.
Rask will be competing for time between the pipes with Antti Niemi the goaltender for the San Jose Sharks and Kari Lehtonen the goaltender for the Dallas Stars.
This is the first Olympics for Rask and he is not aware yet of the plans, the coaching staff has for the goalies. Rask believes each of the three goalies will play once in the preliminary round, which has three games. However, the coaches have made no promises to any of the three goalies, said Rask.
Rask, during his teens, represented his country at the World Junior Championships on three occasions. He was the top goaltender in the tournament and on the All-Tournament team for 2006.
Rask is aware of how international competition can be one and done and he is aware of how tough a lengthy playoff schedule such as in the NHL can take its toll on a goalie. He played backup for the Stanley Cup champion Bruins in 2011 and was the team’s starter when they lost to Chicago in the finals last season 4-2.
His NHL coach Julien said the play of Rask during the Stanley Cup Final in 2013 has earned him a spot on the ice for Finland. Julien said the young goalie handled the pressures of the playoffs very well.
Rask this season has played well, while Finnish teammate Niemi was a finalist for the Vezina Trophy last season. Niemi led Chicago to the championship in 2010. Lehtonen has played several good seasons and has kept the young Dallas Stars in the hunt for the playoffs this season.
Rask is 25-13-4 this season with Boston. During the Vancouver Olympic Games four years ago, Rask watched from the sidelines as a rookie in the NHL.
He knows he and his teammates have a difficult task if they hope to win a medal. Canada is heavily favored to win the preliminary round in Group B.
Time will tell what will happen with Team Finland, but you can be assured that Rask will play a part in how the team finishes.
Finland opens its Olympic schedule on Thursday versus Austria, followed by a Friday game versus Norway. The Finnish wrap up their preliminary round on Sunday versus Canada.
