Bruins Goalie Jeremy Swayman Explains Heated Exchange With Canadiens Star

BOSTON — Bruins goalie Jeremy Swayman on Thursday night didn’t want any Montreal Canadiens players near his crease, especially Nick Suzuki.

Swayman made sure Suzuki knew that too by pushing the star forward out of the way with his glove hand in the final minute of the second period with Suzuki just on the outside of the blue paint.

Suzuki didn’t take kindly to the shove and barked at Swayman. Swayman seemed to relish the encounter, waving on Suzuki and exchanging words with him face-to-face in front of the Bruins net.

The interaction didn’t go further than that and Swayman did his best to downplay the situation following Boston’s 6-4 win over the Canadiens at TD Garden.

“That was kind of my inertia going that way so I needed a little balance help there,” Swayman said. “It’s fun.”

This isn’t the first time Swayman, who finished with 20 saves in his first start of the season after signing a lucrative eight-year contract extension earlier in the week, turned to physcality in a game before. He’s not afraid to push players to the side if they get in his way and even challenged Toronto Maple Leafs goalie Joseph Woll to a fight last season.

Swayman looking to dole out a little punishment of his own seems to not only keep him focused across 60 minutes, but energizes him, too. So, it won’t be a surprise if Swayman turns to it again as part of his balancing act between the pipes.

“It gets you into the game and I got different tactics of getting myself in the game,” Swayman said. “Obviously, being vocal with my guys and chatting with the refs. Just doing my thing. Bringing my swagger, my calmness to the building and I know that’s when I play my best. So, if I got to get my balance that’s the way I’m going to do it.”