Next up on my list is backup goaltender Jaroslav Halak! Halak appeared in 40 games for the Bruins last season, in which he posted a 2.34 goals against average (GAA) and a 0.922 save percentage (SV%) to go along with five shutouts. He did not play in any playoffs games for the team, but he was a key part of them being able to go on a run to Game 7 of the Stanley Cup Final, as his play in the regular season allowed Tuukka Rask to be fresh for the postseason. But, more on that later. Drafted in the ninth round (271st overall) of the 2003 NHL Entry Draft by the Montreal Canadiens, Halak has appeared in 489 career NHL games, over which he owns a 2.49 GAA and 0.916 SV% to go along with 47 shutouts. The 34-year-old netminder joined the Bruins organization last summer as a free agent, and has played for a total of six organizations of his 13 season NHL career.
Halak replaced fan favorite Anton Khudobin last season as the Bruins’ back-up goaltender, and he far exceeded expectations and quickly changed the minds of fans who thought Khudobin would be the better back up. He stepped up whenever necessary, especially at the beginning of the season when Rask struggled, and he gave the Bruins a chance to win every time he was in net. He’s got good agility, especially given his age, and he is also sound positionally. His rebound control was much better last season than it had been in the past, as was his consistency. He’s struggled with injuries in the past, but last season was able to stay healthy the whole time. As I mentioned above, even though he did not play in the playoffs, he played a key role in the team going as far as it did. Had he not played well and earned as many starts as he did, Tuukka would not have been as fresh and rested as he was for the playoff run, and he would not have played at the incredible level he did. Overall, Halak’s play was certainly a pleasant surprise to many, including myself a little bit, and hopefully he can continue it into next season.
As for what we can expect out of Halak next season, like I’ve said with many of the others, I think we’ll see similar play from him as we did last season. While he hadn’t played that well in years and there is a chance last season was a fluke, after watching him last season I do not believe that is true. I think having a reduced workload and less pressure due to not having to be the number one goalie greatly benefited him and allowed him to have his best season in years. So, I think he’ll be able to at least play at a similar level, if not the same level as he did last season. Head coach Bruce Cassidy apparently believes so as well, as he has already said that he will rely on him more to begin the season to give Tuukka more rest since he played in all 24 playoff games of the team’s run. On the ice, he’ll still be agile and sound positionally, and hopefully he can continue his improved rebound control and consistency. He also seemed to fit in well in the locker room, as he accepted his role and developed a good relationship with the Bruins’ ace in Rask. But, as with everyone else, I guess we’ll just have to wait and see what happens over the course of the season, and particularly at the beginning of the season.
Hockey Addict 