WATCH: Tuukka Rask nails a 40-yard field goal

The goalie of the Boston Bruins came here to win playoff games and to kick field goals, and he’s all out of playoff games.

Tuukka Rask is a solid player in the NHL, so that athleticism must transfer over to other things, right? Well, we learned this week that that is absolutely true.

Rask took it to the turf near Gillette Stadium and decided to try to kick a field goal from the 30-yard line. Here’s how it went:

https://twitter.com/NHLBruins/status/902678016488341504

That’s right. He hit that 40-yard field goal. No problem. That’s what Tuukka does: he’s the most dependable field goal kicker on this side of the Mississippi now. But seriously, prob not.

On Reddit, I saw someone was convinced that this was a 47-yard field goal because in the NFL, it’s 17 yards further away than the yardage listed. For example, if the ball was on the 30 in an NFL game, it would be a 47-yard kick because of a 7-yard long snap and then the ten yard long end zone. But wherever the ball is, you just add 10 yards.

So what does this mean for Rask? Does this mean he could do it in an NFL game or be a competent pro kicker? No. There’s high school kids who can hit 60 yarders in practice. It doesn’t mean it would ever happen in game. Heck, I’ve even spun the ball from its sides to upright and then hit a 20-yarder. Yes, that’s right, you can get a ball to stand up without anyone holding it.

As long as you square up on the ball and don’t hit the laces, it’s just like a regular kick. Now if Rask did it that way instead of with the kicking wizard, then I’d be impressed. I mean, I think it’s alright, but that don’t impress me much.

So what did we learn? A pro athlete is a good athlete. OK. Got it.