For as good as Jeremy Swayman has been, he's still a rookie who will have off nights.
Such was the case Tuesday night in the Boston Bruins' 4-1 loss to the Vegas Golden Knights at TD Garden. Swayman made 21 saves on 25 shots, but head coach Bruce Cassidy isn't putting 100% of the blame on the goalie.
"He had an off night," Cassidy told reporters after the game. "The fourth goal was one that should never go in. He had some tough breaks. (Max) Pacioretty is a good goal scorer. He got behind our D on a 2-on-2 and we just missed an assignment. Unfortunate luck for him on a goal he typically stops, but at the end of the day, we didn't generate enough for him."
One goal certainly won't do it against a Golden Knights team that has won five of their last six games.
For Swayman, who's always poised after a loss, he's just taking this as a learning experience and getting ready for his next start.
"Everything is a learning experience, and some of the best things you can learn from are your failures," Swayman told reporters. "So I thought that a lot of things I could learn from tonight is maybe to put myself in a better position for a tip save. You know, it just happens. It doesn't matter if the puck is going a few feet wide, it can still go into the net. So, positioning-wise, it's something I could work on."
Swayman's chance to get back on the right track could as soon as Thursday.
The Bruins are set to take on the New York Islanders on Thursday night on the road. They're dealing with a bit of a COVID-19 problem and won't travel to Canada right away Thursday for their two games up north should more positive tests come in.
