Tuukka Rask made a little (admittedly specific) history on Saturday, and he also made the Boston Bruins sigh with relief.
By stopping all 24 Red Wings shots on goal, Rask earned his 31st shutout, tying Tim Thomas for third all-time in Bruins history.
Boston needed every one of those saves, too, as the Bruins were only able to beat red-hot Detroit Red Wings goalie Jimmy Howard one time to win 1-0. Howard made 35 out of 36 saves, continuing Detroit’s remarkable early run of goaltending.
Speaking of remarkable early runs, the Bruins ended the Red Wings’ winning streak at six games with this result.
More relevant to the Bruins: they ended a three-game skid of their own, going to .500 at 4-4-0 in 2016-17.
That’s the kind of record some expected to see for a perceived bubble team, but some of those stumbles may be at least partially attributed to Rask’s injury-related absence. Their fortunes certainly look a little more promising with him - and this win - after tonight.
Head bumps for 40 after the shutout 💯 pic.twitter.com/ddGE8qBa9L
— Boston Bruins (@NHLBruins) October 30, 2016