bruins 1 - rangers 0

Bruins goaltending prospect, Tuuka Rask (who also rocks a solid Jedi name), got the start against the Rangers in yesterday's afternoon affair.

This was Rask's first start in over a year, and I think intended to be a barometer to assess where his level of play has come since his last start. And Rask did not disappoint, turning away 35 shots to earn his first NHL shutout.

More importantly, as a former first-round pick of the Maple Leafs (acquired from Toronto in the Andrew Raycroft deal), Rask has been "the goalie of the future" for a few years now, and yesterday's game suggests the future could be now.

Rask is a tall lanky geek (to quote from Spinal Tap) and looks like he'll need to bulk up a bit before being an NHL-regular, but perhaps the B's are trying to determine which goalies get the nod next season.

If Rask is in a position to be a suitable backup to Thomas, he'll gain experience while also keeping Timmy's feet to the fire with the knowledge that the Next One is waiting in the wings - generally considered a good way to keep your number one goalie performing at his highest level.

In yesterday's game, Marc Savard got the lone goal, tipping home a Dennis Wideman point shot. Milan Lucic started the play by hammering a Rangers forward into the glass, giving Wideman enough time to set up the shot that won the game.

Coach Julien had the following to say about Rask's performance:

"Obviously, when you can get a shutout, it’s a real good sign. I thought he was very good. Again, I thought our team did a pretty good job in front of him, and sometimes that’s a normal situation; you want to give him the best chance possible, but when he had to make the big saves, he made them. He was good, so I think it was a great first game for him this year with us, and certainly it gives us an idea of what he’s capable of doing, in the future."

The Bruins play this afternoon against the Habs....