Boxes Checked: Bruins’ Jeremy Swayman ‘Part Of Club Again’
Jeremy Swayman is back with the Bruins.
The goalie suffered an injury Nov. 1 in a collision with Patrice Bergeron during Boston’s 6-5 win over the Pittsburgh Penguins. Bruins head coach Jim Montgomery labeled Swayman as week-to-week but did note last week he was “ahead of schedule.“
Swayman on Tuesday practiced with the main group at Warrior Ice Arena, which was a trend we saw with Brad Marchand, Matt Grzelcyk and Charlie McAvoy before they returned to the Bruins lineup for the next game.
It appears it’s the same trend with Swayman.
“He’s part of the club again,” Montgomery told reporters after Wednesday’s practice. “(Keith) Kinkaid has been sent back down to Providence.”
Kinkaid made one start and got the win against the Vancouver Canucks.
Linus Ullmark has been an absolute stud for the Bruins this season, especially in Swayman’s absence. With the workload he’s taken on of late, it probably wouldn’t shock anyone if Montgomery went with Swayman on Thursday night against the Philadelphia Flyers.
“I think I’m gonna lead toward Linus right now,” Montgomery told reporters. “But I haven’t conferred with goalie (coach) Bob (Essensa) after practice.”
Montgomery noted earlier this week that he’d like to see Ullmark and Swayman split the duties upon the latter’s return because Ullmark was “playing too many games.” But it’s a difficult choice given just how well Ullmark has been, earning the NHL’s Second Star of the Week after a 3-0-0 showing for the Bruins last week.
“I don’t know. It’s hard,” Montgomery told reporters when asked if a split still was the plan. “Linus has done such a great job playing minutes like a No. 1, and Swayman’s been out for a while so he’s had to carry the load. It’s nice to know he can carry the load, we just don’t want him carrying that big of a load. I wouldn’t want Swayman carrying the load like that either.”
It will be important to get Swayman his reps and get him back into game action after missing two weeks, but it’s clear Ullmark is capable of handling the minutes of a No. 1 goalie, and playing like one as well.
The Bruins return to action Thursday night when they welcome the Flyers to TD Garden for a 7 p.m. ET puck drop.
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