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Rask: Putting on the pounds

Email|Link|Comments (5) Posted by Fluto Shinzawa, Globe Staff September 9, 2008 01:44 PM

Tuukka Rask will most likely be in Providence at the start of the year. (Reuters Photo)

This summer, Tuukka Rask had one objective: bulk up.

By lifting weights and eating as many as five meals a day, Rask got up to a maximum of 180 pounds, 10 more than his final 2007-08 weigh-in. Rask said he's had trouble jacking up his body fat in the past, so he was free to partake in greasy burgers and pizza.

However, once he got back on the ice several weeks ago, Rask shed approximately four pounds.

"Still working on that," Rask said of packing on weight.

This summer, Rask worked out with Toronto goalie Vesa Toskala and Nashville defenseman Ville Koistinen. All three formerly played for Ilves in the Finnish Elite League.

Last season, because of injuries to Tim Thomas and Manny Fernandez, Rask appeared in four NHL games (2-1-1, 3.25 GAA, .886 save percentage). Rask won his first start against Toronto, which drafted him in 2005. In Providence, Rask went 27-13-2 with a 2.33 GAA and a .905 save percentage for the AHL's top club. Rask faltered in the playoffs, but his technical game and athleticism make him one of the league's top netminding prospects.

"It was what I expected, maybe even more," Rask said of his rookie year. "I really liked how things went."

Rask will most likely start the season in Providence, especially given his lofty cap number. But if Rask, 21, performs well during his second year of North American hockey, he could make a case for a mid-season promotion and put himself in line for a full-time big-league job in 2009-10, when Thomas and Fernandez are scheduled to hit unrestricted free agency. Side note: If some of us followed Rask's eating habits, we'd be pushing four bills easy.

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5 comments so far...

This is not a dig at the training staff for the B's organization at all, obviously they know a lot more about this stuff then I do, but doesn't getting bigger usually mean (in most cases) getting slower too? I understand that by getting bigger you take up more open net (Remeber that Vlad the goalie commercial where the guy weighed like 400lbs and took up the whole goal?), but if you reduce your reaction speed and it takes longer to get from from post to the other isnt it really counter productive?
Any thoughts? Am I way off base here?

Posted by Pete September 9, 08 02:25 PM

As long as Rask isn't eating all burgers and pizza he'll be fine. You can bulk up by still eating healthy if you are pounding back 5-6 meals a day. He won't lose speed if he is still training and eating relatively healthy. It never hurts to gain a little muscle, especially when you are as skinny as Rask. He will have better strength with his legs and will be able to hold the post better. Although I do agree that Rask should be working on his technique a little more so he can up that save %.

Posted by RJ September 9, 08 02:44 PM

Pete
I don't think you are way off-base but a little. Like you said, the trainers should know what they are doing. I would think there is a balance between the two. In some ways, being stronger makes you faster because you have more force behind a stride, for example. In other ways its counterproductive like you say. There's a function of it that has to do with what muscles he is training and I'm sure part of his and any goalie's training involves quickness and reflex training. A lot of it probably has to do with how the B's assess Rask as a goalie and how he sees himself as a goalie and where both parties would like him to be in the future. Is he going to be a reflex goalie, or a positional goalie? either way, both quickness and size are important aspects and that's where the balance comes back into it.

Posted by hockey September 9, 08 03:55 PM

Ken Dryden..................... Back in the days when there was open spots to shoot at and goalies actually moved to fill them.

Posted by nhl1 September 9, 08 05:57 PM

//This is not a dig at the training staff for the B's organization at all, obviously they know a lot more about this stuff then I do, but doesn't getting bigger usually mean (in most cases) getting slower too?//

Have you seen Rask without his goalie equipment? He seriously needs to put on weight. An extra 20 pounds wouldn't hurt him a bit.

Posted by duinne September 10, 08 09:37 AM