Jeremy Swayman got his first Stanley Cup playoffs start between the pipes in Game 3 and helped lift the Bruins to a much-needed 4-2 win Friday night at TD Garden.
Boston’s goalie made 25 stops against Carolina, who went 0-for-5 on the power play, to cut its first-round series deficit in half.
Swayman played well much of the regular season but struggled toward the end, hitting a rookie slump in the final month of 2021-22.
Bruins head coach Bruce Cassidy indicated he’d likely use both Swayman and Linus Ullmark throughout the series and he’s done just that after Ullmark started for Boston in Games 1 and 2. After the win, Swayman earned praise from his head coach and teammates.
“I thought he played great, he made some huge saves at timely moments of the game where it could’ve changed the outcome,” Brad Marchand told reporters at TD Garden, per team-provided video. “He seemed to be very composed. It’s a high-pressure game (Friday). We knew the magnitude of the game and he came in, he was prepared. But I think that’s what we kind of expected from him.”
Swayman’s cool demeanor constantly was praised since he broke into the NHL last year. He rarely seems to get rattled and is ready to bounce back when he gives up a goal. That kind of play from Game 3 earned him another start for Sunday’s Game 4.
“Well, that’s his demeanor, and I think that won’t change. The further we go along, some of that will get tested obviously for a young guy,” Cassidy told reporters. “These are the most important games he has probably ever played, so we’ll see. But we knew that about him. And right up to the end, we weren’t sure who would be our Game 1 (starter). We just felt Ullmark had the better finish, so that’s the way we went.
“He worked on his game in between. You never know if you’re going to get a shot if the other guy stays hot. He got his opportunity, he was ready for it. I think it says what it always has: He is a good pro for a young guy. He’s a really good pro. He’ll get tested again Sunday, but he passed his first one.”
The Bruins look to tie the series 2-2 against the Hurricanes on Sunday. Puck drop from TD Garden is set for 12:30 p.m. ET on NESN.
