Kalman: Gustavsson Answers Late Call, Saves Bruins Vs. Last-Place Columbus
BOSTON (CBS) -- There are two true tests every backup goaltender has to pass.
One is learning how to play when there is a lot of time off between starts. The second is being able to perform when named the starter on short notice.
Although Jonas Gustavsson has had his ups and downs dealing with the former, he passed the latter in a big way on Saturday in a 3-2 shootout win against the Columbus Blue Jackets at TD Garden.
Gustavsson made 31 saves through overtime and then stopped two more shots in the shootout to make sure Ryan Spooner and Torey Krug's shootout goals earned the Bruins two points. Coach Claude Julien revealed after the game that Tuukka Rask was the scheduled starter but the decision to go with Gustavsson was made when Rask wasn't 100 percent healthy to play.
Gustavsson had taken shots and done his normal routine during the optional morning skate. When he led the team onto the ice for pregame warmups it was a surprise to most in attendance.
"Obviously you got to try to be ready no matter what the situation is, you know, anything can happen in a game and so on," Gustavsson said. "So, obviously prepared maybe a little bit different, but in general it's pretty much the same. So when I got here, like I said, it was just about doing the same routines and all that and play the game."
Gustavsson's ability to perform under dire circumstances impressed Julien.
"So he had to go in there and for a guy that found out just as he got to the rink this afternoon, he did well and he was well prepared," Julien said.
The night wasn't without its ups and downs. Gustavsson was 13-for-13 on saves in the first period and then the Bruins gave him a 2-0 lead in the second. After the Bruins' second goal, Gustavsson made his best two saves – one with his right pad on Brandon Saad's shot from in close and one with a headfirst dive to deny Alexander Wennberg from the slot.
But then there was a gaffe, as Gustavsson let Dalton Prout, a guy who hadn't scored in 107 games, slip the puck under his pad and in the short side from a tough angle at 6:58.
"I tried to maybe change my game a little bit there and play differently than I've played in the past," Gustavsson said. "A lot of goalies use that technique now and maybe I'm not 100 percent with it yet, but it will get better. Obviously, that's a goal on me but that's going to happen. You know mistakes are going to happen in a game. Sometimes you make a mistake and it's a goal and sometimes you get lucky and there's not. No matter what, you just got to shake it off and move on."
Before he could move on Gustavsson gave up a deflection goal by Kerby Rychel at 10:08 of the second period to tie the score 2-2.
From there, though, Gustavsson regrouped and kept the Bruins from the ultimate embarrassment of losing to the NHL's 30th-place team.
During Columbus power plays late in the third period and in overtime, Gustavsson was all over the place denying golden opportunities from Blue Jackets would-be scorers.
"He won the game for us tonight," defenseman Torey Krug said. "He bailed us out numerous times and me specifically many times tonight. So I was lucky that he was back there for us. And he's always prepared. That's what makes him a great backup in this league and we're lucky he's on our side."
Gustavsson is now 9-3-1 with a 2.29 goals-against average and .917 save percentage. He's won three starts in a row. He might not play again for a while with the All-Star break coming up but the Bruins do play a back-to-back Monday and Tuesday on the road against Philadelphia and home against Anaheim, respectively. Plus you never know what's going to happen with Rask. Julien classified the problem as "nothing major" but we've heard that before. Rask was seen having a long chat with physical therapist Scott Waugh at the Bruins bench during the warmup.
More playing time might expose some of Gustavsson's flaws. But more work might also allow him to find more of a groove. At least now the Bruins know that if they need him in an emergency, Gustavsson can come through.
Matt Kalman covers the Bruins for CBSBoston.com and also contributes to NHL.com and several other media outlets. Follow him on Twitter @TheBruinsBlog.
