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3 Bruins on Thin Ice Heading into the Playoffs

As the Bruins prepare to face the Toronto Maple Leafs in Round 1, these three Boston players are skating on thin ice ahead of the 2023-24 NHL playoffs

By Devon Platana

Jeremy Swayman is one of three Bruins on thin ice this postseason.
Jeremy Swayman is one of three Bruins on thin ice this postseason. / Bob DeChiara-USA TODAY Sports
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2. G Jeremy Swayman

The Bruins are fortunate enough to have the best goaltending tandem in the NHL. Reigning Vezina Trophy winner Linus Ullmark makes up for one half of the duo while the 25-year-old Jeremy Swayman is poised to be the franchise's netminder of the future.

Having said that, the pressure is on for Swayman to prove that he can lead the crease in the playoffs.

On paper, the Anchorage, AK native saw a lot of success in his fourth NHL season. Playing in a career-high 44 games, Swayman went 25-10-8 with a .916 save percentage, 2.53 goals-against average, and three shutouts. However, his play dropped off as the season went on, proven by his .884 SV% and 2.87 GAA in his last eight appearances.

Being a brick wall against the Maple Leafs is one way that Swayman can get off thin ice. The former Maine product went 3-0-0 with a 1.30 GAA and .959 SV% against Toronto during the regular season, so there's a decent chance that he can get back on track.

But if Swayman struggles against the Maple Leafs, the Bruins could wind up doing some second-guessing. After all, Swayman is due for a big contract as he's set to become a restricted free agent this summer. If he can't prove in the playoffs that he's capable of being a franchise goaltender, Boston could opt to run it back with Ullmark as the No. 1 goalie next season.

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