Bruins Game-Breaker: Swayman makes big saves early and often against Panthers
The Jeremy Swayman Show continues.
Sending red jerseys to the exits with minutes still remaining in the game, the Boston Bruins scored three times in the second period and left the Amerant Bank Arena ice with a 5-1 win over their playoff nemesis. But it’s quite possible their biggest and best play came in the opening minute – in goal.
Swayman stopped 38-of-39 Florida shots in total (.974), including 16 high-danger chances. His save total increased every period (9, 14, 16). And yet, no save felt more impactful than a stop on the Panthers’ Anton Lundell just 40 seconds into regulation.
“I think we had a great start in general, which gets me going,” Swayman "I think our guys did a great job of using the momentum of that series."
Jeremy Swayman on playing Game 1 of Round 2 less than 48 hours after their Game 7 OT win over the Leafs. #NHLBruins | https://t.co/1riFRo7BIX pic.twitter.com/Tk2h7mIFwB
The Panthers had just won a defensive-zone faceoff, and dynamic winger Sam Reinhart had made a clean entry through the neutral zone. Swayman made the initial stop after Reinhart’s serpentine route (that one’s for Jack), but it was Lundell’s rebound that required some elevation. In the figurative, spiritual sense.
No surprise, here: Swayman was up to the task.
Credit is also due to Bruins center Charlie Coyle for his backcheck. He may have slowed down Lundell’s opportunity just enough to help Swayman extend his pad in time. But how can you possibly discredit what Swayman is doing right now? Madman. Absolute psycho shit.
No, seriously. The dude is getting piled on and nearly giving up a goal in the third period, and he’s laughing. God dammit the kid is laughing.
Swayman, apparently, is impervious to the stomach-turning stress of the Stanley Cup Playoffs. Especially the kind of stress leveled against fans of the Bruins, a team that routinely takes the region on the ultimate emotional roller coaster ride. We’re talking Hellraiser, House of 1,000 Corpses, Texas Chainsaw Massacre mayhem. Every friggin’ series. Torture. Sometimes there’s a happy ending, but oh, the intermittent pain.
For that reason, it would be wise for no one in Boston to get ahead of themselves after an otherwise-strong first game against the Panthers. Be ready for the drop. Be ready for the grind. This will be no sweep.
It’s also fair to note that Swayman allowed the game’s first goal, and got a lift by teammate Morgan Geekie answering just 1:07 later. Hard to tell how the game might’ve gone without that quick turn-around. But Swayman has also proven able to have a short memory and to stay focused after the puck – gasp – goes in.
MORE: 5 pre-series thoughts on the Bruins and Panthers
It’s hard not to grow your confidence in this team with each passing win, knowing that they’re getting a total game-changing performance from their emerging young goaltender regardless of what’s swirling around him. Swayman is their guy until further notice, and he showed within seconds of the start of Game 1 why he owns that net.