Anyone who said Tuukka Rask returning would stunt the development of Jeremy Swayman looks pretty silly right about now.
The Bruins' rookie goalie is fresh off a 28-save performance against the NHL's best team, the Colorado Avalanche, after Boston won 5-1 on Monday afternoon at TD Garden. It was a much-needed victory between not having Brad Marchand and preparing to embark on a West Coast road trip.
Monday was a huge test for Swayman, who's looked strong between the pipes since head coach Bruce Cassidy called him out after an ugly outing against the Pittsburgh Penguins. He responded in a big way and helped the Bruins to victory.
Questions surrounding Boston's goaltending situation were constant when the team signed Linus Ullmark in the offseason and Tuukka Rask's return was looming. Before Rask re-signed briefly with the Bruins, Cassidy always had a plan to split Swayman and Ullmark, with no clear-cut No. 1 goalie.
He made a remark in November that Swayman was a little bit ahead of Ullmark in the goalie competition, and that still may be the case.
Swayman was sent down to Providence when Rask returned to the Bruins. That was short-lived after the veteran netminder retired. And ever since his recall, Swayman has looked like the team's No. 1 goalie.
The 23-year-old is 3-0-1 in his last four starts with a .968 save percentage. His confidence and poise only seem to grow stronger with each start as Swayman continues to learn and grow throughout the season.
"I think it's all thanks to the experience that I've had this year," Swayman told reporters after Monday's win, per team-provided video. "It's obviously a lot of experiences, going up and down and different things not going your way sometimes. I've definitely learned to adapt and make sure I'm staying in the moment and making sure the next day is a new day, taking the positives from the day before and forgetting about it, good or bad days. Making sure I'm doing whatever I can to capture the day at hand and make the most of the opportunity.”
Swayman only has 32 career games on his résumé, but his .931 save percentage and. his 1.90 goals-against average can't be ignored.
It's unclear how Cassidy will utilize Swayma and Ullmark during the road trip, but one thing's for sure, he should stick with what's working and ride the hot goalie.
