Can Tuukka Rask scratch 7-year itch?

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Blackhawks Looking To Even Series

Scott Burnside, Pierre LeBrun and Craig Custance preview Wednesday's Game 4, saying Chicago needs to break through on the power play if it is to have any hope of evening the series.Tags: Stanley Cup, Final, Game 4, Scott Burnside, Craig Custance, Pierre LeBrun

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• Bruins Stay Hot In Playoffs At Home

BOSTON -- If the Boston Bruins end up winning the 2013 Stanley Cup in six games, it will carry a little extra symbolic significance.
With the Bruins up 2-1 against the Chicago Blackhawks entering Game 4 on Wednesday night at TD Garden, a split of the next two games would give Boston a potential Cup-winning Game 6 on June 24 -- exactly seven years to the day when the Bruins acquired goalie Tuukka Rask in a trade with the Toronto Maple Leafs in exchange for goaltender Andrew Raycroft.

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Elsa/Getty ImagesTuukka Rask was his typical collected self after Monday's 2-0 shutout in Game 3.

Like Raycroft, Rask began his pro career with the Providence Bruins of the AHL. When the Finnish prospect arrived in Providence, Scott Gordon was the coach of the P-Bruins. Gordon, a former collegiate, Olympic and NHL goaltender, had already worked with other top goalies in the Bruins organization, including Raycroft, Tim Thomas and Hannu Toivonen.
By the time Rask made his pro debut during the 2007-2008 season with the P-Bruins, expectations were already high. Earlier in his pro career, Rask was a different goalie than he is now.
"I was always concerned with his compete level. Whether it was in practice or the games, he just seemed to be a little too relaxed, a little too calm and I think he's improved his intensity," said Gordon, who is currently an assistant coach with the Maple Leafs. "I don't see him in practice, but I know in games by watching him play now he's a lot more engaged in the game than what I saw when he played for me.
"To his defense, to come over to North America for the first time and living in this country, playing in a smaller rink, style of play is a little bit different, you can't expect that he's going to be then what he is now. We all saw the potential he had. He's really quick down low and for the most part his positioning then was really good, but the battle and compete wasn't near what it is now. If you're going to say one thing about him, he doesn't quit on shots. He's always trying to give that second effort to make that second save.