Jeremy Swayman had arguably the best game of his career Thursday night.
The young Bruins goaltender was perfect in his effort as Boston got back in the win column with a 2-0 win over the Nashville Predators at Bridgestone Arena.
Swayman recorded his first shutout of the 2021-22 NHL season in the process and also recorded a new career-high in saves as he stopped all 42 shots he faced on the night from the Predators.
After the game, Bruins acting head coach Joe Sacco had nothing but praise for the 23-year-old netminder.
“He was tracking pucks very well tonight. Certainly I think it was one of his better games and we needed him. When they pushed he came up with some big saves,” Sacco said via team-provided audio. “We had some good opportunities down the other end too, their goalie made some timely saves too. We hit a few posts, but Swayman was on top of it tonight.”
The goaltender certainly was pleased with the win and his performance afterward.
“I wasn’t chasing pucks. It was a good week of practice the two games I didn’t start so I was definitely focusing on that and thought it came out to play tonight. It was nice.”
Goaltending has been a big question mark for the Bruins so far this season and neither Swayman nor Linus Ullmark has emphatically put themselves ahead. Boston general manager Don Sweeney recently said the duo has “been OK.”
With the potential of Tuukka Rask returning on the horizon, things may even get murkier, but if Swayman continues to play the way he did Thursday he may earn himself a larger role.
Here are more notes from Thursday’s Bruins-Predators game:
— It has been a whirlwind lately for forward Jake DeBrusk after requesting a trade from the Bruins, but the young winger shined Thursday as he netted his fourth goal of the season.
“I think Jake played pretty good tonight,” Sacco said. “So he had a good game and I think he can build off of that too. Like we said before we just want Jake to help our team in any way possible and helped with a big goal tonight.
— DeBrusk and defenseman Brandon Carlo potted the only goals for the Bruins in the 2-0 win over Nashville.
Carlo had been held goal-less in each of his last eight games, but with the goal now has two on the season. The big defenseman finished the 2020-21 season with just three goals total and his career-high currently is six, but he appears to be on pace to smash that record.
— Fellow defenseman Jakub Zboril left the game in the second period with a lower-body injury and afterward there wasn’t much of an update.
“He’ll get evaluated. It is just a lower-body injury right now,” Sacco said. “I don’t know any more than that.”
— After a day off on Friday, the Bruins will return to the ice Saturday night as they welcome the Tampa Bay Lightning to TD Garden for a 7 p.m. ET puck drop right here on NESN.
