The Boston Bruins have struggled mightily this season. One reason for this is the play of goalie Jeremy Swayman. Swayman, who signed an eight-year contract extension before the season, has played well below his previous standards. This has factored into an extremely disappointing season for the Bruins.
However, Swayman gave Boston fans a glimmer of hope on Saturday. He was dialed in against the Carolina Hurricanes, stopping 39 of 40 shots. The Bruins’ offense also came alive as they scored five goals en route to a 5-1 win over Carolina. After the game, Swayman made a rather interesting admission about his performance after a rough stretch of games.
“So good. I feel a big weight was released from all of our shoulders,” the Bruins goalie said, via NESN’s Gayle Troiani. “It’s a gratifying feeling to through it and to finally get out of it and feel good about our game. It’s good to see (TD) Garden hopping again. That’s a feeling that we’ve missed, and that’s a big thing. So, we’re not going to let that happen again.”
The Bruins had struggled through a brutal slump before beating the Hurricanes. In fact, they had lost each of their last 10 games before this crucial win on Saturday. Half of these losses came by a margin of three goals or more.
Swayman is in his first season as the undisputed starting netminder in Boston. He has played a career-high 55 games but has struggled during this time. He has a career-low .895 save percentage entering play Friday. His four shutouts have tied a career-high, but the overall season has not been too kind to the Anchorage, Alaska native.
The Bruins entered play Friday with a 31-37-9 record, good for last in the Atlantic Division. Boston has little left to play for but pride this season. But performances like those from Swayman on Saturday do give fans hope for brighter days ahead.
Bruins Make Jeremy Swayman Announcement After Hurricanes Game
Jeremy Swayman reached a career milestone Saturday night, backstopping the Boston Bruins to a 5-1 win over the Carolina Hurricanes.
In breaking a Bruins' 10-game skid thanks to a fantastic performance, Swayman notched his 100th NHL victory. The achievement came in front of the Bruins crowd present at TD Garden, but it wasn’t enough to keep Boston’s season alive.
The Bruins were officially eliminated from playoff contention after the Canadiens beat the Flyers in Philadelphia. It marks the franchise’s first missed postseason since 2016.
Swayman made 39 saves in the win, ending a personal seven-game losing streak and prompting the Bruins to celebrate his accolade with a post on X.
" WINS FOR ☝️," the Bruins account wrote, along with a graphic showing Swayman and his "100 WINS" milestone.
Swayman became the 10th goalie in franchise history to record 100 victories, reaching the milestone in his 187th appearance.
“It feels so good—unbelievable,” Swayman said after the Bruins' first win in 11 games. “A big weight was released from all of our shoulders. It’s a gratifying feeling to go through it and finally get out of it and feel good about our game.
“It’s good to see the Garden hopping again. That’s a feeling that we’ve missed, and that’s a big thing. So, we’re not going to let that happen again.”
Head coach Joe Sacco credited Swayman’s preparation and performance during a tough stretch with the goalie going 0-7-0 in his last seven starts.
“Our goaltender, Swayman, bailed us out a number of times tonight. He gave us the chance to win,” Sacco said. “He’s been battling. His preparation never wavers.”
Swayman improved to 21-28-6 on the season, with a 3.08 goals-against average and a .895 save percentage. He has a career .911 save percentage across 187 games, allowing 2.56 goals on average.
