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Rask, Bruins blank punchless Rangers

Jan 31, 2009 - 10:01 PM BOSTON (Ticker) -- With Manny Fernandez still sidelined and Tim Thomas needing a game off after nine straight starts, Boston Bruins coach Claude Julien tabbed Tuukka Rask to make his first start of the season Saturday.

The 21-year-old netminder responded with 35 saves for his first career shutout as the Bruins held on for a 1-0 victory over the offensively challenged Rangers, who have dropped consecutive games in regulation for the first time since December 4-7.

Marc Savard gave Rask the only goal he needed with a pretty deflection with only 23 seconds remaining in the second period.

"It is a special moment for me, of course, to get the time to show that I can play at this level," Rask said. "You have to be prepared and ready to play the game. You don't want to fail because you don't know when you will get the chance again."

Rask entered Saturday's contest with just four career starts under his belt, going 2-1-1 for the Bruins last season.

He faced some pressure from the Rangers, but did not have to make many spectacular saves as most of New York's scoring chances came from the top of the circles and just inside the blue line.

"When he had to make the big saves he made them and he was good," Julien said. "It gives us an idea of what he is capable of doing in the future."

"There was a couple of moments in the third period when there was some scrambling in front of the net and they kept shooting at me but the defense did a great job an awesome of taking care of the rebounds," Rask added.

The Rangers had only one power play, and it was cut short after New York was called for too many men on the ice.

"Just not paying attention," New York coach Tom Renney said. "It is like sitting there with our thumbs up our backside."

New York goaltender Henrik Lundqvist rebounded from one of the worst periods of his four-year career in which he surrendered five goals in the final 20 minutes of Thursday's 6-2 loss to the Pittsburgh Penguins.

But the one goal Lundqvist allowed Saturday was a crusher for the Rangers, who came into Saturday ranked 27th in the NHL in scoring, averaging only 2.48 goals per game. However, the goal was hardly his fault.

With the clock running down, New York's Nigel Dawes failed to clear the puck out of the defensive zone along the right boards. It went to Dennis Wideman, who took a harmless-looking slap shot from just inside the blue line.

But Savard, left alone in the slot by Rangers defenseman Michal Rozsival, deftly got his stick on the puck and re-directed it past Lundqvist for his 19th goal of the season.

"I saw him (Savard) cut in front of me," Lundqvist said. "It was such a tough goal because you have to reach for the puck and then he deflected it straight down. It is tough to be in two places at the same time but it happens."

The goal was reviewed, but the video replay cleared showed that Savard's stick was below the crossbar.

"I have not seen the replay of it, I just know that I got a good tip," Savard said. "I think it went straight down and bounced up so kind of lucky in the same sense, but I think as a line, me Kes (Phil Kessel} and Luc (Milan Lucic) - were causing a lot of havoc and we had some scoring chances."

Lundqvist, who surrendered six goals in the second period of the All-Star Game, finished with 26 saves.