Jeremy Swayman picked up his first NHL shutout Friday night and may have also launched a presidential campaign.
After shutting out the Islanders in a third straight Bruins win, the rookie goalie shouted out two young fans who caught his attention before the game with a "2024 Swayman for President" sign.
NESN's cameras captured Swayman skating over to the fans during warmups and taking a selfie with them through the glass.
At a time when most goalies would be too laser-focused on their start and unwilling to alter any sort of warmup routine, Swayman made it a point to make those two fans' nights, which shouldn't be a surprise if you've witnessed his near-constant smile on the ice and upbeat demeanor off it.
"That's just the best. I was a fan once when I was a little kid, and I would be so excited when a player acknowledged me," Swayman said after the game. "I just wanted to give back. I know how much it means to other kids. That was a pretty cool sign. They put a lot of effort into that, so kudos to them. That was a pretty cool moment."
Maybe the sign turned out to be a good-luck charm… not that Swayman needs one right now. After stopping all 25 shots he faced Friday night, Swayman is now 4-1-0 with a .938 save percentage and 1.78 goals-against average through his first five NHL starts.
While Swayman didn't face a high quantity of shots on Friday, he did face some high-quality chances, especially in the first period. He denied Michael Dal Colle on a breakaway chance, and later turned aside a great 2-on-1 look from Anthony Beauvillier. Late in the second period, with the Islanders looking to launch a comeback attempt, Swayman shut down another 2-on-1 chance, this time stoning Kyle Palmieri.
"I think first and foremost, the win was the most important part of tonight's game. The shutout was the cherry on top," Swayman said. "I was just super excited to get that accomplishment, and I know I'll remember that one for a long time. But again, it couldn't have been done without the defense I had in front of me and the players up front as well, so I'm super happy with the team effort."
