A Patrice Bergeron-less trek down to Florida has come with another speed bump for Jim Montgomery and the Bruins.

It’s in net, too, with Linus Ullmark absent from the team’s morning skate at FLA Live Arena ahead of Friday night’s Game 3 showdown with the Panthers. Ullmark is with the team, but did not get on the ice during a relatively short morning skate, and his status entering tonight’s game is currently up in the air.

“Ullmark will be a gametime decision,” Montgomery offered.

• Boston’s starter for the first two games of this series, Ullmark turned aside 31-of-32 shots faced in Boston’s Game 1 victory, and was hung out to dry on the way to a 24-of-29 losing performance in Game 2.

  In addition to a game-time decision not being part what you’d ever consider part of the plan, Montgomery expressed no doubts with sticking with Ullmark for Game 3 prior to the team’s departure for Sunrise on Wednesday afternoon.

  “I’d be completely comfortable going back to Linus,” Montgomery told me about a potential three-in-five for Ullmark. “He’s done it a couple of times this year and obviously he’s done it really well.”

  Ullmark, for what it’s worth, has not started three games in five days since mid-December. He went 2-0-1 over that stretch, and posted a .931 save percentage with stops on all but six of 87 shots faced. The middle game of that three-in-five was Ullmark’s ‘worst’, too, with three goals on 26 shots.

  Overall, Ullmark has six different segments of three appearances in five nights this season.

• 

  BOSTON, MA – APRIL 17: Linus Ullmark #35 of the Boston Bruins stands in the crease as the fans celebrate the Bruins third goal against the Florida Panthers during the second period of Game One of the First Round of the 2023 Stanley Cup Playoffs at the TD Garden on April 17, 2023 in Boston, Massachusetts. (Rich Gagnon/Getty Images)

• Ahead of this game-time decision, it’s worth mentioning that the 6-foot-5 Ullmark appeared to be laboring at points in Game 2. Particularly during one of the Black and Gold’s second-period penalty kills. Whether that was an injury creeping into frame or just the relentless pressure of the Panthers getting to Ullmark — or really just something as simple as a save that required a little extra from Ullmark’s body, for that matter — is anybody’s guess.

  Montgomery did not believe that this current situation had anything to do with the injury that took Ullmark out of the team’s penultimate regular season game back on Apr. 11 against the Capitals.

• 

  BOSTON, MASSACHUSETTS – APRIL 06: Jeremy Swayman #1 of the Boston Bruins looks on during the second period against the Toronto Maple Leafs at TD Garden on April 06, 2023 in Boston, Massachusetts. (Maddie Meyer/Getty Images)

• If Ullmark is unable to go, the Bruins will turn to Swayman for that would be the sixth playoff start of Swayman’s career, and his first appearance of the 2023 Stanley Cup Playoffs.

  Swayman was one of the league’s hottest goaltenders down the stretch of the regular season — Swayman’s .932 save percentage and 2.03 goals against average since Jan. 1 ranked third-best behind Ullmark and the Wild’s Filip Gustavsson among goalies with at least 20 games started over that span — and is no stranger to this spot.

  It was in Game 3 in 2022 that the Bruins turned to Swayman for what would be the start of a five-game run as Boston’s playoff starter against the Hurricanes. Swayman rallied the Bruins for wins in Game 3 and 4 of that series, and could be asked to deliver something similar this time around. The biggest difference, of course, is that Swayman would be doing that on the road this time opposed to the friendly confines of TD Garden.

• 

  May 4, 2022; Raleigh, North Carolina, USA; Boston Bruins goaltender Jeremy Swayman (1) skates off the ice against the Carolina Hurricanes before the game in Game 2 of the 2022 Stanley Cup Playoffs at PNC Arena. (James Guillory/USA TODAY Sports)

• Swayman got two games against the Panthers during the regular season (both at Sunrise’s FLA Live Arena, too), and suffered losses in each, with an .881 save percentage over that two-game sample.

  But those losses feel like ancient history compared to both Swayman’s efforts since, and how the Bruins have been when it comes to bouncing back from losses in 2022-23.

  The Bruins had wins in 15 of 18 games following a loss during the regular season, and were a perfect 4-0-0 in games following a three-goal loss in their previous outing.

  Game 3 is set for 7:30 p.m. in Sunrise.

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