For Bruins goalies Jeremy Swayman and Linus Ullmark, success means sharing the spotlight - The Boston Globe
Swayman turned in another top-notch performance against the Rangers as he continues to complement Vezina favorite Ullmark.
NEW YORK — Jeremy Swayman was walking toward a locker stall inside the visitors’ dressing room at Madison Square Garden Thursday night, smiling and ready to talk about a stellar 31-save performance he’d just turned in to anchor the Bruins’ 3-1 win over the Rangers. Before he even started, a Bruins’ spokesperson announced that teammate David Pastrnak, one of the newly named NHL All Stars, would be taking questions at the same time.
Swayman laughed, knowing a good portion of the media would shift Pastrnak’s way. But he wasn’t bothered. He knows this truth to be quite evident: To be a Bruin these days means sharing the spotlight.
And for this particular backup goaltender, playing behind leading Vezina Trophy candidate Linus Ullmark simply means doing your part when you get the chance. Such is the luxury of a roster built with depth and quality at seemingly every position, where the dominant tandem of Ullmark and Swayman has emerged as one more reason to believe in this team’s championship dream.
Swayman was outstanding against the Rangers, delighted to be playing in a building his dad frequented quite often as a young fan from nearby Canarsie, Brooklyn, satisfied to have stepped up with two wins in the team’s three games across four days.
“He’s been terrific, honestly,” captain Patrice Bergeron said. “He’s been poised, seeing every shot, always in position. I can’t say enough about him and his demeanor between the pipes. He’s ready every time he’s asked and gives us a chance to win every time and it’s great to see every time he’s having a game like he was having tonight. It gives you confidence.”
“Sway kept us in the game a few times tonight,” Bergeron said.
“He just keeps getting better and better,” coach Jim Montgomery said. “What I liked was how he was reading everything. He made really hard saves look pretty easy. Like the Panarin breakaway. Panarin’s looking to go five-hole and he read it.”
“[Panarin’s] a talented player,” Swayman said. “He’s got a lot of moves and I know he had a lot of speed, he had pressure behind him, so it was going to be either a quick shot or a quick move. I was happy with the save.”
Swayman more than ready to share a spotlight if that’s what it’s going to take to keep rolling like the Bruins are now. He and Ullmark aren’t just the best goalie tandem in hockey — they’re great friends as well.
“It’s just so natural, the chemistry is unbelievable,” he said. “We thrive off each other and it’s a lot away from the rink. I just feel I’m part of his family and he’s part of mine. Every time I talk to my dad he’s like ‘Tell Linus I said hi.’ It’s pretty special to have a bond like that.
“If we’re both competing on a high level we’re both going to help the team win. That’s all we care about.”
As Connor Clifton, scorer of the third Bruins goal, put it, “We have so much confidence in those goalies. They’re both playing incredible. Really comfortable with them behind us. Knowing they’re the last layer, it’s pretty great.”
…yikes I’m old
