( Photo by Steve Babineau / NHLI via Getty Images )

By: Carter Hochman | Follow me on Twitter @Carterr33

Listen, I know this headline will create both cheers and jeers from Bruins fans everywhere, but I promise I have a good point to make. It’s no secret that Tuukka Rask’s first game against Philly may have simply been an adrenaline rush from both him and the guys skating in front of him. But the last few games have been a humbling reality for both him and the Bruins.

Let me also be clear, the last few games Rask’s been in net, with the exception of maybe two or three, the goals that have gotten past him have not been his fault and have also been a result of a massive lax in concentration by the other five guys on the ice. Now we look at Linus Ullmark. Is he the best goaltender in the Atlantic Division or even in the East? Not at all. Has he actually been shockingly consistent and fairly reliable when we need him to be? Absolutely, and that’s where this decision to keep Tuukka as the backup comes in.

Rask is nowhere near back to full form, nor should he be. We’re also now seeing why those two games he was supposed to play in Providence were so pivotal to try to get him back up to speed. With Linus Ullmark already accustomed to playing a heavier workload back in Buffalo, he should be able to shoulder a 70/30 split in playing time with Rask as opposed to the 50/50 split we’re used to seeing with Bruins goaltending altogether. This will put Tuukka in more of a position to slowly progress back to form without costing the Bruins too many more games, because personally, I don’t think Rask is quite at the form where he can steal a win for them.

Tuukka is a seasoned pro; he can and would understand the kind of role he would play as a backup and take it with grace. He’s barely being paid, so it’s not like the Bruins invested an absurd amount of money in a guy to back up Ullmark. Yes, he’s Tuukka Rask, but let’s be real here, Ullmark is the #1.