In the first game of the playoffs, Boston Bruins goalie Linus Ullmark got the nod in net over rookie Jeremy Swayman.
But Ullmark, who was making his postseason debut, wasn’t particularly strong at times in Boston’s 5-1 loss to the Carolina Hurricanes in Game 1 of the first-round playoff series on Monday night.
Following the contest, Bruins coach Bruce Cassidy was asked if he was going to go back to Ullmark in-between the pipes for Game 2. Cassidy decided to not commit to Ullmark, but also did not endorse Swayman, either.
“We’ll let you know (Tuesday),” Bruce Cassidy said as seen on NESN postgame coverage. “Like I said, I’m not faulting our goaltender for this. We had some opportunities we need to finish as well like they did.”
Ullmark was steady early on and kept the Hurricanes off the scoreboard until the final four minutes of the second period in which Carolina scored two goals before the frame ended. Both of the goals came on shots from the point in which Ullmark was screened.
Ullmark allowed two more goals in the third period — Carolina’s final goal came on an empty net — as the Swedish netminder finished with 20 saves on 24 shots.
“You need the saves at the end when you’re not scoring. Let’s call it what it is,” Cassidy said. “The last goal … he’s going to tell you it’s not a great goal to give up, but by then it’s 4-1. We’re not going to put anything on Ullmark. Whatever goalie’s in there for us, you got to fight to find pucks this series.”
