It’s clear that Jeremy Swayman and Linus Ullmark are close, and it’s a chemistry coach Bruce Cassidy believes the Bruins tandem built rather quickly.
Without a clear-cut No. 1 goalie on the Black and Gold, Swayman and Ullmark have been splitting time all season. Tuukka Rask re-signing with the Bruins put a halt to that briefly before lingering effects from his hip surgery forced the veteran to retire after 15 seasons.
Rask’s return in no way derailed Swayman’s development, considering the rookie still was getting plenty of reps in Providence and was slotted right back into NHL action last after Rask’s announcement.
But it’s been clear since the beginning of the season that Swayman and Ullmark have a strong relationship, even engaging in a postgame hug that fans seem to love.
After Wednesday’s practice, Cassidy spoke to the chemistry both Swayman and Ullmark have with each other, and had with Rask.
“Sway, I can speak for him because I saw him with Rask last year, he gets along with everybody. I think that’s just his personality,” Cassidy told reporters, per team-provided video. “He’s an inner-drive competition guy, he wants to be better than you, whoever that tandem is. But he’s not going to dislike you as person while he’s doing it. I think that’s a great attribute. Sway, he’s just a nice kid.
“Ullmark, I can’t speak of as much because I don’t know what his relationship was with his guys in Buffalo. Here, he seems to have hit it off really well with Swayman. They have this, whatever they do at the end of the game. I see it on the Twitter or whatever. So I think those two have really hit it off. Ullmark and Tuukka, I don’t know that part because I didn’t see them together as much. They look like they’re two guys that are in it for the long haul that want to push each other but support each other.”
Cassidy channeled his inner Bill Belichick by saying “the Twitter,” but at least we know he sees the postgame fun.
Ullmark will get the start for the Bruins on Thursday against the New York Islanders after Swayman started between the pipes the last two games.
