It appears Jeremy Swayman’s time has arrived. No, not his time to be a permanent part of the Bruins’ NHL goaltending tandem. That time arrived two weeks ago when Tuukka Rask officially announced his retirement, opening up a full-time spot for Swayman after a month in the AHL.
We’re talking about his time to be the Bruins’ No. 1 goalie. That’s what Swayman is playing like right now, and that’s how the Bruins are treating him, whether they’re saying it publicly or not.
Swayman has started four of the Bruins’ last five games, and five of seven since the All-Star break. After a subpar first game back with the big club against Pittsburgh, Swayman has been lights out over his last four starts, posting a 3-0-1 record and .968 save percentage. Most recently, he stopped 28 of the 29 shots he faced Monday afternoon to help shut down one of the league’s best offenses in Boston’s 5-1 win over the Colorado Avalanche.
It’s a stretch that has seen Swayman rapidly climb towards the top of virtually every goaltending leaderboard after spending most of the season closer to the middle of the pack. Among the 60 goalies who have played the most minutes this season, Swayman now ranks fourth in goals-against average (2.09), fifth in overall save percentage (.925), eighth in 5-on-5 save percentage (.931), and ninth in high-danger save percentage (.857).
He has separated from that middle of the pack, and he has also separated from teammate Linus Ullmark. While Ullmark’s win-loss record since the start of January is still impressive (9-3-1), his overall numbers are not, as he has an .895 save percentage during those 13 starts. Aside from record, Ullmark has fallen well behind Swayman in every other category -- 2.79 GAA, .909 save percentage, .909 at 5-on-5, .792 on high-danger chances.
Part of the thinking in bringing Rask back was that there was a chance that if he was healthy, he could be a legitimate upgrade in goal. The Bruins had gotten roughly league-average goaltending through the first three months of the season, and the last time Rask was healthy (in 2019-20), he was a lot better than league-average. Of course, Rask’s health didn’t hold up, and it quickly became clear that he was not going to be able to get back to his 2019-20 level.
His retirement meant that if goaltending was going to be a strength for the Bruins, Swayman, Ullmark or both were going to have to step up. And Swayman has. He is now looking like the goalie who lit the world on fire in his first 10 NHL starts last season, and he’s starting to give the Bruins the caliber of goaltending they got used to during Rask’s prime. If you wanted to play the "Who starts Game 1 if the playoffs began today" game, there wouldn't be a debate.
While some were concerned that Swayman being sent down to Providence to make room for Rask would hurt the rookie’s development, Bruins coach Bruce Cassidy credits Swayman’s mindset and approach for making sure that was never going to happen.
“I’m telling you, he’s a special kid that way,” Cassidy said before Monday’s game. “There’s people that don’t handle that adversity as well, especially young ones. And you understand that. As a guy who came from the American League, spent a lot of time there, there’s a lot of explaining to young guys why they didn’t get the call when they felt they should’ve, or got to stay when they felt they should’ve. It’s a little bit of the business sometimes, where you’ve got to stay with it.
“I think Sway has a good handle on that. He also doesn’t lack confidence. He knows he can play in the league. That helps. His start last year in Boston, the numbers he put up, going into the summer he’s like, ‘I can do this.’ So that’s half the battle as well, the mental part of it. Can I do it or not? He has that belief in himself. I think all those things are what makes him a good goaltender.”
Swayman has said and continues to say that he believes his month in Providence was ultimately a positive for him.
“I think it’s all thanks to the experience that I’ve had this year,” Swayman said Monday of his recent strong play. “It’s obviously a lot of experiences, going up and down and different things not going your way sometimes. I’ve definitely learned to adapt and make sure I’m staying in the moment and making sure the next day is a new day, taking the positives from the day before and forgetting about it, good or bad days. Making sure I’m doing whatever I can to capture the day at hand and make the most of the opportunity.”
Swayman is certainly making the most of his opportunity in Boston now. Ullmark will continue to play, as the Bruins will want to make sure they don’t risk overworking Swayman in his first full professional season. But Swayman is rapidly strengthening his case to be the clear No. 1 in this tandem.
All stats courtesy of NHL.com, Hockey-Reference and Natural Stat Trick.
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