Bruins' Rask set to play 500th game

BOSTON — For Tuukka Rask, it’ll be the 500th game summary to paste into a scrapbook.

For the Maple Leafs, it’ll be their 30th opportunity to get a real-time look at what might have been.

Rask, obtained by the Bruins from the Leafs for current NESN studio analyst Andrew Raycroft on June 24, 2006, will make his 500th NHL appearance on Tuesday night at TD Garden. Like his first NHL game (Nov. 20, 2007; 30 saves in a 4-2 win), Rask will make the milestone appearance against the team that drafted him in the first round in 2005 (No. 21 overall) but never even got him to North America.

“I never played there, never went to a camp there,” said Rask, who takes a 3-0-1 record, 1.72 goals against average and .946 saves percentage into Tuesday, when the B’s try to end a two-game winless streak. “I was drafted by them, so I was part of the organization for a year or whatever on paper, but I knew I was going to stay in Finland for another year or two.

“Then, what happened happened, and we’re here now.”

Rask arrived in North America for the 2007-08 season and played with the AHL’s Providence Bruins. A year later, a new P-Bruins assistant coach knew he was looking at an NHL-caliber goalie.

“Did I think he’d be a No. 1? Yes,” said Bruce Cassidy, now in his fourth season coaching Rask at the NHL level. “He had terrific technique already at 20, 21 years old. He was good athletically. He competed. For him, it was just a matter of getting the reps, the paying-your-dues type of thing for a goaltender, and learning the little details about being a good pro — practicing well, playing back-to-back games.”

A No. 1 NHL goalie for the first time in 2009-10, Rask then spent two years backing up Tim Thomas before assuming the No. 1 slot for good in 2012-13. He has helped the B’s reach the Stanley Cup finals twice (2013 and last year), won the Vezina Trophy as the NHL’s top goalie in 2013-14, and last season passed Hockey Hall of Famer Tiny Thompson as the franchise leader in games played and wins (currently 268).

Along the way, Rask has faced the Leafs 29 times during the regular season (17-7-2, 2.13, .925), and more importantly, has beaten them in three seven-game playoff series. They’ve never been grudge matches to him, though.

“I don’t really remember following [the Leafs] after they drafted me,” said Rask, who had to serve a year of mandatory military service (Finnish Air Force) while playing for Ilves in Finland’s top pro league in 2005-06. “I had a lot of things on my plate back then.”

Rask is grateful to have spent his entire North American career in the same organization. His second-year partner, Jaroslav Halak, has 493 career games on his NHL resumé but he’s playing for his fifth NHL team.

“Staying in one spot — I call this my hometown team,” said Rask, who’s 32. “I’ve been here so many years; I can’t see myself playing anywhere else. I’ve been so fortunate to be part of this team.”

mloftus@ledger.com

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