Jeremy Swayman has all but solidified himself as the Bruins’ No. 1 goalie, and Linus Ullmark is happy for his friend and teammate.
Boston signed Ullmark to a four-year deal worth $20 million in the offseason. He and Swayman handled the goalie duties until Tuukka Rask returned to the Bruins, sending Swayman to Providence despite some strong play from the rookie.
Swayman’s time in the AHL didn’t last long after Rask retired from the NHL due to lingering effects from his offseason hip surgery that made him unable to perform at the elite level he had been for years.
Ullmark and Swayman were a fine tandem, but after Swayman’s rough Feb. 8 start against the Pittsburgh Penguins, head coach Bruce Cassidy called out the 23-year-old and seemingly lit a fire under him. In Swayman’s last eight starts he’s gone 7-0-1 and has made some incredible saves to keep the Bruins in games.
During that stretch, he’s emerged as the No. 1 goalie for the team.
Going into the 2021-22 season, Cassidy had a plan regarding the usage of the two goalies. That’s obviously changed since Swayman’s recent emergence, but it doesn’t change how Ullmark feels about someone he’s grown close to since coming to Boston.
“I’m super happy for Sway,” Ullmark told reporters after Monday’s overtime loss, per team-provided audio. “He’s done a tremendous job for us to win games back and forth, especially on this road trip we were on. He was lights out. I couldn’t be more happier for him.”
Swayman getting a bit more playing time recently hasn’t changed how Ullmark goes about his days.
“For myself, nothing changes. I still come to work with a smile on my face, and I’m trying to improve myself and improve the guys as well,” he said. “I try to push them to be better and they push me to be a better goaltender, and I’m going to do that tomorrow as well.”
It’s likely Swayman will get the start Thursday when the Bruins welcome the Chicago Blackhawks to TD Garden. But if the B’s want to make a push in the Stanley Cup playoffs, getting Swayman the rest he’ll need also will be crucial.
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