LAS VEGAS — For now, the Boston Bruins’ net belongs to Jeremy Swayman. The length of that ownership is unknown.
That will depend on how promptly Linus Ullmark recovers from the lower-body injury that had him staggering off the Mullett Arena ice on Tuesday. Coach Jim Montgomery classified Ullmark as day to day.
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“You never want a goalie to go down, obviously,” Swayman said after Thursday’s Bruins’ 2-1 overtime loss to the Vegas Golden Knights. “There’s no doubt in my mind he’s going to be back quickly. Because he’s going to do whatever he needs to do to do that. But just like last year when I went down, he stepped up. It’s my job to do that. We’ll take it night by night, day by day and wait for his return. But absolutely, I want to get as many wins as we possibly can.”
Ullmark received treatment at T-Mobile Arena on Thursday morning. During the game, Ullmark was walking around the rink without limitations.
Wandering around a press box in a suit and tie, of course, is different than entering battle on the ice. It remains to be seen when Ullmark can get back into his gear. Swayman, Montgomery said, is likely to go again Saturday against the St. Louis Blues. Brandon Bussi, recalled from Providence on an emergency basis Thursday, will be the backup.
Swayman, his coach said, cannot wait to go on a run for as long as he’s needed.
“He’s a young man that you know just can’t wait for the opportunity,” Montgomery said Thursday morning. “He just wants more and more. He’s going to get the ability to play consecutive games here. I have a lot of confidence. Because of his attitude and his confidence.”
The Bruins will be fine in net if Swayman submits a performance similar to the one he had against Vegas. He stopped all 18 shots he saw through two periods when the Golden Knights applied their stiffest offensive pressure.
“He was terrific again,” Montgomery said. “Unfortunately, our goaltenders have got to make several great saves for us just to get a point right now.”
Case in point: Swayman’s third-period kick stop on Ivan Barbashev.
The Bruins, down 1-0 in the third, had tied the game at 12:18. With traffic in front, Matt Grzelcyk fired a point shot that ticked off the stick of Alec Martinez and beat Logan Thompson. It was the kind of goal Montgomery had been wanting from his players all night. It just didn’t happen until the third.
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“I thought we were most consistent with our puck support quickly,” Montgomery said. “And holding onto pucks in the offensive zone, whether that was two-man support, outnumbering them or people just holding onto pucks so we could go low to high like we did on the goal we scored.”
But Grzelcyk’s goal looked to be wasted when Barbashev had a point-blank chance on a seemingly empty net. Alex Pietrangelo had ripped a long-distance slap shot that thudded off Mason Lohrei. Barbashev was first to the loose puck.
After anticipating Pietrangelo’s shot, Swayman had to recover following the block. With his timing thrown off, Swayman had to make a desperate move. He scooted to his right, lunged with his right pad and punted out Barbashev’s shot. The game stayed tied, 1-1.
What a stop by Jeremy Swayman: pic.twitter.com/ftg93arfzD
— Conor Ryan (@ConorRyan_93) January 12, 2024
“I have to make those saves in timely manners,” Swayman said.
Swayman had to stand tall earlier in the third too. At 1:52, Danton Heinen put the Golden Knights on the power play after hooking Chandler Stephenson. Less than five minutes later, Heinen went back to the box, this time for tripping Zach Whitecloud. It was Heinen’s last shift. Montgomery benched him for the rest of the night.
Heinen was not the only Bruin practicing poor habits with his stick. James van Riemsdyk was called for tripping in the first. Hampus Lindholm was sent off for high-sticking later in the period.
Montgomery has seen enough. The Bruins have taken 189 penalties, second-most after the Anaheim Ducks (131).
“Players unwilling to check with their legs to get above pucks,” Montgomery said of the reason for the stickwork. “Then using their sticks and arms to go through bodies. We reach a lot. We don’t get above. So we’re trailing from behind. It leads to hooking and tripping penalties.”
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Slow feet were not the only problem for the Bruins against the Golden Knights. They did not think clearly in overtime either.
David Pastrnak tried to stick-check Mark Stone in center ice. Pastrnak missed. As Stone continued through the neutral zone, Pastrnak hesitated to backtrack. Stone was happy to take off.
On the two-on-one, Stone fed Pietrangelo for a backdoor slam dunk. Swayman had no chance.
shipped 'em back to Boston 👋 pic.twitter.com/LppzGju5Mm
— Vegas Golden Knights (@GoldenKnights) January 12, 2024
“We have to finish these types of games,” Swayman said. “It’s unacceptable at this point. I’m excited to get to work to finish games. Because we will be finishing these games. And it’s going to feel (expletive) good.”
(Photo: Stephen R. Sylvanie / USA Today)
