BEDFORD — Jeremy Swaman has been arguably the Bruins’ best player throughout the Stanley Cup Playoffs. The goalie turned in a strong performance in Game 5 against the Florida Panthers and made some crucial saves — including one on Sam Reinhart in the final seconds of the third period — to help extend Boston’s season.
“He’s been fantastic since Day 1 in the playoffs,” coach Jim Montgomery said Wednesday. “He’s been incredible for us. And in between timeouts, he comes by the bench and he doesn’t talk to the bench. But just the way he carries himself, there’s a confidence and an air about him that he’s invincible, which makes us really confident that we’re in a good place. The pulled goalie situation, I was behind the bench and I was like, ‘they’re not scoring, we have we have Swayman.’
“Clearly has gone to the next level.”
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Swayman has played in all but one game throughout the playoffs — Game 2 against the Toronto Maple Leafs in the first round. It’s a workload that he wasn’t used to in the regular season with Montgomery having the luxury of both Swayman and Linus Ullmark between the pipes.
But despite Boston giving up six goals in two different games to the Panthers in their second-round series, Montgomery has stuck with Swayman because of how he’s stood on his head and bailed his team out of situations.
“The athleticism is God-given ability.” Montgomery said. “But the way he reads plays, his hockey sense as a goaltender is allowing him to get to some saves that you would think normally a normal goaltender wouldn’t.”
Montgomery said the Bruins have been monitoring Swayman’s workload, but with an extra day off before Game 6, “it’s kind of a moot point for the next game.”
Swayman and the rest of the Bruins will look to force a do-or-die Game 7 when the series shifts back to Boston on Friday night.
