The Bruins will try to stave off elimination Thursday night, and Bruce Cassidy is sticking with the rookie goaltender.
Jeremy Swayman has played well for Boston, earning wins in Games 3 and 4 at home. He did struggle a bit in the Bruins’ Game 5 loss to the Carolina Hurricanes but overall, the B’s have other areas of need that are more concerning than who is between the pipes.
“I don’t think he looked at his best (Tuesday),” Cassidy told reporters at Warrior Ice Arena on Wednesday, per team-provided video. “What it comes down to is a little bit of what’s happened, like I’ll go to Game 3. Big, big saves early on. (Tony) D’Angelo had a breakaway and (Jordan) Martinook gives us a little bit of, ‘hey, let’s find our game.’
“Even though (the Hurricanes) scored first, I thought those are important timely saves (Tuesday) night we didn’t get. We were on them, another good start. We need that save early on. It’s just one you need to keep you in it and it didn’t happen. (It) gives them a little bit of life in their building, they’ve lost two in a row, they get a lead, it’s something we’ve talked about. I thought we pushed early well to get the lead, didn’t happen. They got timely saves, we didn’t and then they got some life. … Certainly not going to put it on the goaltender. …”
The first round of the Stanley Cup playoffs has been what Cassidy called a “homer series” and is hopeful that trend continues (for now, anyway) for Game 6.
Puck drop from TD Garden is set for 7 p.m. ET. You can catch all the action on NESN beginning at 6 p.m.
