BOSTON – The Bruins joked about their options for an emergency goaltender last month when Florida Panthers goalie coach Rob Tallas was nearly forced to step in when goalies Roberto Luongo and Al Montoya both down with injuries in Florida.
Little did the Black and Gold know they might have to call upon their own emergency when Tuukka Rask was forced out of Saturday afternoon’s 4-2 win over the New York Rangers with a potent case of dehydration. With Rask out of the game after the second period and Niklas Svedberg as the only Bruins goaltender manning the pipes, 50-year-old Bruins goalie coach Bob Essensa was spurred into action and suited up in his gear at the end of Boston’s bench in a victory that snapped Boston’s six game losing streak. Essensa didn’t get into the game because Svedberg had things well in hand stopping 16-of-18 shots for the B’s victory.
“I didn’t notice him until we went out there at the end of the game,” said Milan Lucic of the appearance of “Goalie Bob” on the bench. “But he’s quite the character, a great goalie coach and a great guy, so it was great to see him out there in the team huddle after a big win.”
The former Winnipeg, Edmonton, Detroit, Phoenix, Vancouver and Buffalo netminder last played in the NHL back in 2002 for the Sabres, so his head coach wasn’t exactly jazzed up to see what would have happened if he’d gotten into the game.
“What a joke,” said Claude Julien with a big smile on his face. “He didn’t even have the equipment here. He was just trying to look good.”