Tuukka Rask vs. Jordan Binnington: A goaltending match-up for the ages

We all know Tuukka Rask’s history. From winning a Stanley Cup as backup to Tim Thomas in 2011 and carrying his team to the 2013 Stanley Cup Final, Rask is no stranger to summer time hockey.

His opponent, however, is having a storybook season of his own.

Jordan Binnington has been stellar for the St. Louis Blues, and has earned his chance to play in the Cup final. The rookie goaltender hasn’t been phased by postseason hockey yet, and his numbers are pretty dang good.

We all know which goalie has the better pedigree, and there’s no doubt about it. Rask is a much more established goaltender in this league, but it’s worth taking a closer look at the guy the Blues have relied on for much of the 2018-19 season.

Jordan Binnington

Unlike most of the Western Conference, I am no stranger to this goaltender. I watched my fair share of Providence Bruins hockey during the 2017-18 season, and Binnington was impressive. If you don’t know, Binnington was on loan to the P-Bruins last season because the Blues didn’t have an AHL affiliate at the time. I remember wishing the Bruins had this guy in their system. He’s big, competitive, and can make timely saves when needed.

He’s grown from what he was in Providence. His skills are far superior to those displayed by any other rookie goaltender I’ve seen in a while, but can he keep it up?

Throughout these playoffs, the 25-year-old has a 2.37 GAA and a .914 SV% with one shutout, not bad for a rookie goaltender. It’ll be interesting to see how he handles the Stanley Cup Final.

Tuukka Rask

I will never not backup Tuukka Rask. Before these playoffs started, there was a strong (or at least loud) contingent of fans that thought Rask would be the Bruins’ weakest link. Now, he’s their strongest player.

Rask has been nearly unbeatable this postseason, saving the Bruins from some sticky situations.

Rask’s playoff numbers have been unreal. With a 1.84 GAA and a .942 SV% with two shutouts, it’s safe to say Rask is playing some of the best hockey of his career.

Binnington is the rookie darling, but Rask is having an unbelievable postseason. Who do you think has the edge in net?

Editor’s Note: In the original version of this article, stats and two images were used from Kevin Woodley’s post on NHL.com, and did not feature a citation.

We apologize for not citing them as the source earlier, and decided to remove those stats.