Getty Jeremy Swayman of the Boston Bruins celebrates a victory with teammate Linus Ullmark
The Boston Bruins didn’t change their season-long strategy on how they manage the B’s crease for the matchup against the Florida Panthers on Saturday, April 6, and it paid off for them in a 3-2 overtime win.
Following the rotational system they have used all year, the Bruins’ starter on goal facing the Panthers was the expected one in Linus Ullmark.
The last time Boston started a goalie on back-to-back matchups was back on February 19 and 21 when Jeremy Swayman handled business against the Dallas Stars and the Edmonton Oilers respectively, according to Hockey Goalies.
Bruins head coach Jim Montgomery spoke openly about the team’s goaltender plans for the Stanley Cup Playoffs ahead of the win against Florida.
“I think if we commit to a rotation, it’s going to be Game 1, Game 2, Game 3, Game 4—if that’s what we end up deciding, and then we can go from there,” Montgomery told reporters while addressing the media before the game on April 6. “Obviously, performance and winning in the playoffs dictates a lot of the decision-making.
“This is what we’re comfortable doing. It’s what our goalies are used to preparing (for). So we’ll see what ends up happening.”
Bruins Must Make a Decision Before the Postseason
The Bruins won a pivotal game on Saturday by beating the Panthers 3-2 in overtime at TD Garden in Boston. The victory allowed Boston to strengthen its position atop the Atlantic Division with 107 points in 78 games, moving 5 points clear of the Panthers in second place.
As the standings show, and having used a rotational crease for the whole regular season, nobody can argue against deploying alternative goalies on a game-by-game basis as it’s worked wonders for Boston.
Boston’s two goalies, Ullmark and Swayman, both have quite the track record and the skill set to start on the net of pretty much any and every NHL team these days.
Ullmark has started 124 games with a .925 save percentage and a 2.27 GAA in the last three seasons and he’s coming off winning his first Vezina Trophy award in 2023. In the same span, Swayman has started 113 games posting a .917 save percentage and a 2.41 GAA.
Will the rotation work in the playoffs?
History says rotations do no good once the postseason arrives in the NHL. No team has won the Stanley Cup since the introduction of the salary cap in 2006 while using a two-man creasing.
Boston’s recent experience with goaltender strategies might give them a direction entering this season’s playoffs.
In the 2023 Stanley Cup Playoffs, Montgomery finally switched from Ullmark to Swayman for Game 7 following back-to-back losses in Game 5 and Game 6. It didn’t help Boston, however, as Swayman lost 4-3 in overtime while making his first start in two weeks.
Briuns’ Lineup Nearly Set Up Across All Other Positions
With the win against Florida on Saturday, Boston is nearly a lock to win the Atlantic Division when the regular season ends in less than two weeks.
The Bruins have swept the Panthers in regular-season games this year and they have won five of their last six games, including the last four.
Fluto Shinzawa of The Athletic discussed the status of the Bruins lineup ahead of the playoffs in an article published on Sunday, April 7, following the victory over Florida.
Shinzawa thinks “the identities of the six Game 1 defensemen are clear,” and named all of those players in his column, including Charlie McAvoy, Hampus Lindholm, Brandon Carlo, Matt Grzelcyk, Andrew Peeke, and Parker Wotherspoon.
“Pavel Zacha and David Pastrnak are the team’s most creative offensive tandem,” Shinzawa wrote while adding “the No. 1 line is set in stone.”
“Danton Heinen has complemented the two Czechs well because of his smarts, skating, and strength on the puck,” Shinzawa explained.
“The No. 2 line may have a newcomer,” Shinzawa added. “Morgan Geekie has been a good No. 3 center. But he may start Game 1 at right wing next to Brad Marchand and Charlie Coyle.”
Finally, to Shinzawa’s eyes, “the fourth line needs work,” explaining “the plan is for Pat Maroon to make his Bruins debut on April 13 against the Pittsburgh Penguins.
“Wherever Maroon plays, it will likely break up Saturday’s fourth line of James van Riemsdyk, Johnny Beecher and Jakub Lauko.”