Jeremy Swayman hasn’t played in a game since Nov. 1, but he’ll likely break that drought Saturday when the Bruins take on the Chicago Blackhawks.
The goalie was injured in a collision with Patrice Bergeron during Boston’s 6-5 win over the Pittsburgh Penguins. Swayman was ruled week-to-week but quickly was deemed ahead of schedule by head coach Jim Montgomery.
Much like Brad Marchand, Matt Grzelcyk and Charlie McAvoy, Montgomery used the magic phrase of “checking the boxes” earlier this week when it came to Swayman’s availability. The Bruins activated him, and he was available for Thursday’s 4-1 win over the Philadelphia Flyers but served as the backup to Linus Ullmark.
There’s no denying what Ullmark is doing between the pipes, but he’s been taking on quite the workload, especially in Swayman’s absence, and Ullmark will get a little break Saturday night. Montgomery told reporters after Friday’s practice he was leaning toward starting Swayman against the Blackhawks on Saturday night.
Swayman struggled in his first two starts for the Bruins but bounced back nicely before the injury. The Bruins can’t afford to overwork Ullmark, especially so early in the season, it’s also important for Swayman to get reps as he tries to get acclimated to game action again after not playing in over two weeks.
If Swayman can pick up where he left off and give Ullmark some adequate rest throughout the season, the 15-2 Bruins only will become more dangerous.
Bruins-Blackhawks puck drop from TD Garden is set for 7 p.m. ET on Saturday night.
