Bruins' Rask on winning Vezina Trophy: 'It's in the past'

Tuukka Rask isn't resting on his laurels.

The Boston Bruins goaltender won his first Vezina Trophy, awarded annually to the league's top goaltender, for last season's performance. Even so, he's not letting it go to his head.

"It doesn’t feel different. It’s in the past," Rask said Monday, via the Boston Herald. "I’ll start thinking about those things when I stop playing hockey and I’ll feel good about it.

“The main focus has to be the next season. You always have to prove yourself and be good. It doesn’t matter if you win Vezinas or not. You still have to be good."

The 27-year-old goalie was certainly "good," if not great, last season. He posted a 2.04 goals against average, a .930 save percentage, a 36-15-6 record and seven shutouts in 58 games.

Still, he knows he's not perfect.

"I think it’s a never-ending circle. There’s always something," Rask said. "If you play unbelievable, then you have to be as good. If you sucked, then you have to be a lot better. There’s always something. It doesn’t really matter if you win or not, you always have to be better. That’s my mindset.”

The Bruins won the President's Trophy last season, posting the league's best record, but were eliminated in the second round of the playoffs by the Montreal Canadiens.

This season, they're tasked with replacing vocal leaders Shawn Thornton and Jarome Iginla, who departed in free agency. Rask said he may have to take on more of a leadership role in their absence.

"I might have to," he said. "When you’re young, you’re worried about your performance on the ice and you’re so focused on that. But as you get older, you learn to still be focused on the ice but also be more vocal and maybe not stress about it too much. Maybe next year is my year to step up and be more vocal inside the locker room."