The Boston Bruins returned to the ice Saturday after getting a win in interim head coach Joe Sacco’s debut, this time visiting the Detroit Red Wings at Little Caesars Arena.
Boston’s longtime assistant, promoted after Jim Montgomery’s departure, made a little bit of a surprising move by giving Jeremy Swayman the green light. Sacco’s belief in Swayman came amid a struggling stretch for the 26-year-old — Swayman had lost his previous two outings, surrendering 12 goals on 66 shot.
However, going with Swayman paid off in Boston’s 2-1 win over Detroit.
Swayman looked a lot like his elite self, finishing the night with 19 saves on 20 shots from the Red Wings, including a handful of game-changers.
Sacco’s offense, on the other hand, struggled when it came to applying pressure to Detroit’s Cam Talbot. Boston countered on its first of two power-play opportunities to jump out on top, 1-0, in the first period — marking the second consecutive game in which the Bruins scored on the power play. From there, Boston missed opportunities left and right with missed feeds and Talbot’s impressive net protection.
The Bruins, all while leaning on Swayman to keep the 1-1 tie intact, went scoreless in the second period, adding the pressure heading into the third frame.
Brad Marchand rewarded Swayman’s poise, consistency and patience with the go-ahead goal in the third period, giving Boston a 2-1 lead with 8:30 left in regulation. That left the Red Wings plenty of time to find the equalizer and meant Swayman’s job was far from done too.
Swayman’s elite goaltending never left the ice as Detroit, in desperation mode, couldn’t find an answer. Even when the Red Wings pulled Talbot to try to send the contest into overtime, Swayman kept Detroit at bay to ensure Boston would end its trip to the Motor City on a high note before heading back home.
During Detroit’s fourth and final power play, Swayman made a clutch and tremendous save after missing the puck glove side, adding the cherry on top of Swayman’s already spectacular performance.
The Bruins, now 2-for-2 under Sacco, will return to Boston to host the Vancouver Canucks on Tuesday night. Puck drop from TD Garden is scheduled for 7 p.m. ET, and you can catch the game, plus an hour of pregame coverage, live on NESN.
