Kaberle could have made it a 2-1 game. But that’s when high-end goalies make big-time saves.
Amid a tangle of bodies in the crease, Rask sprang from left to right. At the last moment, he flashed out his right pad to get a piece of Kaberle’s attempt. On the following breakout, the Bruins scored the decisive goal in last night’s 5-2 victory before 17,565 at TD Garden.
“I just got across,’’ said Rask. “I got my leg across, he didn’t get the puck up, and I made the save. It was a big save because we scored right after that. Sometimes it’s a huge help when you make a so-called timely save. We got the breakaway and we scored, so it was huge for us.’’
After Rask made the save, Luke Schenn recovered the puck and got a follow-up shot. But David Krejci stepped in front of the shot, then went the other way after blocking the attempt. Krejci slipped behind Kaberle and attacked Vesa Toskala (29 saves).
The Toronto netminder bit hard on Krejci’s head-and-shoulders fake and left the right side of the net open. With a flick of his wrists, Krejci tucked the puck in at 11:10.
“I just blocked it and I saw the chance to go for it,’’ said Krejci. “I tried to get on my horse. I think [Schenn] kind of fell a little bit, so it was a little break for me. I was all alone, so I was just thinking about what kind of move I would do.’’
No goal for the Leafs. Goal for the Bruins. Two-goal swing in 10 seconds.
“He’s paid his dues,’’ coach Claude Julien said of Rask, who made his second straight start. “He’s been in the minors for a few years and he’s been itching to get up here.
“I thought our upper management did a great job of keeping him in the minors for the right reasons. He was the No. 1 and got a lot of games under his belt. Now he gets an opportunity to come up here. Every time you give him an opportunity to play, he’s responded well and played well for us.
“He’s very calm. I think he’s getting good results because what I see as the biggest difference in Tuukka from his first year to now is how he is in practice. His work ethic in practice is so much better. He’s starting to get rewarded in games for that.’’
