What Bruins coach Jim Montgomery said after giving Jeremy Swayman early hook in Game 2
Boston’s Game 2 blowout loss in Sunrise was not about Jeremy Swayman.
Bruins head coach Jim Montgomery seemingly wanted to make that clear before Swayman even made it down the tunnel and back to the B’s locker room, too.
Given almost no support in front of him in any fashion, the Bruins made what felt like a mercy pull of their breakout goaltender early in the third period and when this game officially seemed out of reach for the Bruins, who at that point were facing a three-goal deficit behind enemy lines.
“Swayman was terrific,” Montgomery said following his team’s 6-1 loss to the Panthers. “I thought about taking him out at 3-1 going into the third. And then when the fourth goal went in, I was like, ‘I’m taking him out now.’ He two great saves before [the fourth goal] went in.”
Montgomery went on to note that this game was about the B’s lack of jump, not Swayman or his intensifying workload, with Game 2 marking Swayman’s seventh straight start (and over a 15-day span).
“The workload hasn’t played into Jeremy Swayman, [but] the workload had played into our effort tonight,” Montgomery said. “We didn’t have juice tonight.”
The move didn’t ruffle any feathers with the 25-year-old Swayman, who got to get some ‘rest’ in, even with his ‘body feeling great’ eight games into his first real run as Boston’s playoff ace.
“I trust that guy with my life,” Swayman said of Montgomery. “He’s gonna make decisions that are going to help the team. And all I can say is I can’t wait for Friday.”
