A look back at some of the best Bruins goaltender duos
Photo credit: The star phoenix
Over the last 100 years, the Boston Bruins have had some incredible goalies, in almost every decade they had solid net minders as we take a look back at the very best of the list.
The most recent one that we can't forget is Jeremy Swayman and Linus Ullmark. While the duo never won a Stanley Cup together they out together the greatest NHL season of all time and a Vezina win for Ullmark.
The 2022-2023 season was a historic and record-breaking year for Boston and their goalie tandem. The Bruins set the single-season wins record, going 65-12-5 and set the single season points record (135). Ullmark became the fastest goalie in NHL history to reach 40 wins, and the Bruins became the first team in NHL history to have a 40-win and 20-win goaltender, Ullmark going 40-6-1, while Swayman went 24-6-4. The Bruins were not able to get the job done in the playoffs though, going out in seven at the hands of the Florida Panthers. Ullmark went 3-3 with a .896 SV% and a 3.33 GAA, while Swayman went 0-1 with a .875 SV% and a 3.34 GAA. The duo earned the Jennings Trophy and Ullmark won the Vezina trophy, but for the second consecutive season, the Bruins were bounced from the playoffs in the first round.
Another unforgettable duo is Tuuka Rask and Tim Thomas who both had incredible careers in the NHL as they also helped the city of Boston win their first Stanley Cup in almost 50 years in 2011 by beating the Canucks in game 7.
The Bruins won the 2011 Stanley Cup, defeating the Vancouver Canucks in seven games. Thomas won the Conn Smythe Trophy, the first American born-goaltender to win the award, and holds the record for most saves in a Stanley Cup Final series (238), most saves in a playoff year (798), among all the accolades he holds for that extraordinary season.
The top with no surprise goes to Gerry Cheevers and Eddie Johnson who led the Bruins to two cups in 1970 and 1972 with legendary players such as Bobby Orr and Phil Esposito.
In 1970, the Bruins won their fourth Stanley Cup in franchise history, their first since 1941. Cheevers recorded 24 wins during the regular season and the pair had a combined record of 40-17-19 with a .913 SV% and a 2.85 GAA with seven shutouts. In the playoffs, the Bruins swept their way past the Chicago Blackhawks in the Semi-Finals, and went on to sweep the St. Louis Blues in the Stanley Cup Final. Cheevers went 12-1 with a .925 SV% and a 2.23 GAA in the dominating postseason by the Bruins.
Source: Causeway Crowd
Top 10 Goalie Tandems in Boston Bruins History
| POLL | ||
27 SEPTEMBRE | 5 ANSWERS A look back at some of the best Bruins goaltender duos Is Cheevers the best Bruins goalie of all time? | ||
| Yes | 3 | 60 % |
| No | 2 | 40 % |
| List of polls | ||
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