For the sixth time in the last six games, a Bruin left the game early and did not return. In Thursday's 3-2 loss to the Ottawa Senators, it was goalie Linus Ullmark.
Early in the first period, Ullmark got hit directly in the facemask with a slap shot from Erik Brannstrom that deflected off Jesper Froden's stick.
Ullmark got checked out at the next break, but was cleared to continue playing. He finished the first period and looked good doing so, stopping all eight shots he faced and making a couple highlight-reel saves.
When the second period began, however, it was Jeremy Swayman in the Bruins' net, and Ullmark was not on the bench. Ullmark did not return for the third period either. Coach Bruce Cassidy didn't have any update after the game other than to say Ullmark "didn't feel well" after the first period.
Cassidy was then asked if he knew whether it was a concussion spotter who pulled Ullmark from the game.
"I think the refs looked at him [when it happened], and he decided he wanted to continue to play," Cassidy said. "I don't believe the spotter took him out after the first period. Now, I was just told he's out, and I never checked again. Once he's out, he's out, so it's onto the next situation. I don't believe it was a spotter. I think it was Linus himself, but I can't 100 percent confirm that."
The Bruins on Thursday were already without David Pastrnak, Hampus Lindholm and Brandon Carlo, all of whom have been injured in the last 10 days. Matt Grzelcyk returned from injury Thursday night after missing one game. Trent Frederic also missed a game due to injury during this tough stretch.
Ullmark missing any amount of time would be a brutal blow to Boston, as the veteran has been in the midst of his best stretch of the season and had nudged ahead of Swayman for the No. 1 job. He entered Thursday with a 6-1-0 record and .932 save percentage in his last eight appearances (seven starts).
Swayman, meanwhile, has simultaneously been mired in his toughest stretch of the year. He entered Thursday with a 3-4-0 record and .880 save percentage in his last seven games. Swayman gave up three goals on 15 shots in the second period against Ottawa Thursday night, but then made several great saves in the third, including a couple on breakaways, as the Bruins tried to come back from a goal down.
If the Bruins need to call up a goalie, veteran journeyman Troy Grosenick and 23-year-old Kyle Keyser are the two who have split most of the minutes in Providence this year. Grosenick has had a much better season, going 16-5-4 with a .931 save percentage. Keyser is 11-12-6 with a .906 save percentage.
The Bruins also signed undrafted free agent Brandon Bussi out of Western Michigan University on March 30, but he has yet to appear in a game for Providence. His entry-level contract does not begin until next season and he would be ineligible for the NHL playoffs anyways, so he would not appear to be an option.
