And he has allowed them to trust him.
It wasn't just the second period, when Rask faced 13 shots and allowed Toronto's only goal, by John Tavares at 3:54. It was the first period, when Rask turned away some brilliant chances by Auston Matthews and Mitchell Marner, players who showcased their immense talents earlier in the series.
"The first one on Matthews kind of surprised me a bit, but it was lucky I had the five-hole covered," Rask said. "He got it off in a hurry. I didn't even see the release, so I got the five-hole covered and made a save. On the second one, Marner shot it through the legs, and I got my glove on it. It was kind of a bad rebound, but we battled through it.
"We got a good start, but then they got some momentum, so it was big for us to keep them off the score sheet."
Especially in that second period.
"They created a lot of momentum, a lot of chances," defenseman Zdeno Chara said. "They were putting a lot of pucks on the net, in the slot, a lot of shots, rebounds, and I thought he was in good position and controlling the rebounds and shots. I thought that he was obviously a difference-maker."
It's what he was Tuesday against the Maple Leafs. It's what he was all season. It's what he has been for most of his career, even if he hasn't always gotten the credit for it.
"I hope fans recognize what he did tonight," Cassidy said. "I think you have to, as a fan, acknowledge when a player plays well. I know in this town when you don't, you hear about it. That's fine too. Tonight, he played well, and hopefully the people get behind him and acknowledge that."
Because without Rask, it might have been the Maple Leafs moving on.
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