The Monday/Tuesday back-to-back games can be summed up in one word for the Bruins ... Nightmare. They lost both games, yes salvaging a point in both of them however they took early leads in both games and allowed the opponents to come back.
In the midst of all of this, the injury bug struck again, this time hitting possibly the most important player it has all year, Vezina winning goalie Linus Ullmark. Coach Jim Montgomery did not reveal the extent of Ullmark's injury yet, however with him not being able to skate off on his own power one has to think he is going to miss some time. This could be a huge blow for the Bruins, as Ullmark may not have been as dominant as last season he was still performing at a high level, helping the Bruins to the top of the standings. Could this be a disaster for the Bs?
Enter Jeremy Swayman. The Bruins have had the best goalie tandem in the league both this year and last year. This year, the numbers show Swayman has actually played better than Ullmark, posting a very similar won-loss record while posting better individual stats. Broken down further:
Ullmark- 13-5-2 (28 Points), 2.75 GAA (20th in league), .916 Save Percentage (10th in League), 0 Shutouts
Swayman- 11-3-6 (28 Points), 2.50 GAA (9th in League), .920 Save Percentage (8th in League), 2 Shutouts
Swayman has had two subpar performances from a statistical perspective in a row, however his defense left him out to dry a ton against the Avalanche as the Bruins were heavily outshot 36-26, but he made some spectacular saves. Head Coach Jim Montgomery has said that he planned on keeping the goalie switching up even throughout the playoffs. Now it appears, for a little while, Jeremy Swayman will be the guy. Can he backstop the Bruins with this increased workload he will see? While no one ever wants to see a player injured, this is Swaymans's chance to prove he can be an every game guy and help weather the storm until Ullmark can make his return.
