Linus Ullmark was the NHL’s best goaltender through the first month of the season, and it earned him some recognition.
The NHL named the Bruins goalie the second star of the week Monday for the invaluable work he put forth over this recent stretch for the Black and Gold.
Boston currently is operating without current backup Jeremy Swayman, who hasn’t played since Nov. 1 due to a lower-body injury. Ullmark dazzled in relief in that game — a dramatic come-from-behind win over Pittsburgh — and hasn’t broken stride since.
In the last week, he won all three of his starts and allowed just four goals on 90 shots. That .956 save percentage helped improve his mark for the season where he currently ranks third in the NHL. The Bruins won four of his five starts since the Pittsburgh game, with Ullmark posting a .942 save percentage in that run.
No goalie in the NHL has played more than Ullmark this season, and it’s unsurprising he’s the league leader in wins with 11 so far. He’s also just 2 percentage points behind Dallas goalie Jake Oettinger for the league lead in save percentage and 0.16 goals behind Oettinger in goals against average.
Coincidentally, Ullmark outdueled Oettinger on Oct. 25, stopping 30 of 31 shots in a 3-1 Bruins win.
Despite the early-season dominance, Ullmark is still just 16-1 to win the Vezina Trophy at DraftKings Sportsbook behind Igor Shesterkin (+400), Oettinger (+600), Ilya Sorokin (+800), Andrei Vasilevskiy (+1000) and Conner Hellebuyck (+1400).
Ullmark gets a few days to rest up before the B’s return to the ice Thursday against Philadelphia to continue a three-game homestand.
