Sports

Swayman or Ullmark in Game 2? Bruins head coach Jim Montgomery has jokes -- but no answer

Updated on: April 22, 2024 / 3:13 PM EDT / CBS Boston

Swayman or Ullmark? Montgomery won't say who Bruins will start in Game 2, but he had plenty of jokes

BOSTON -- Want to know if it's going to be Jeremy Swayman or Linus Ullmark in net for the Bruins on Monday night? Jim Montgomery doesn't have an answer for you, but the Boston head coach had plenty of jokes ahead of Game 2 against the Maple Leafs.

The Bruins have made it clear that they'll rotate between their two star netminders this postseason. Given that Swayman got the nod in Saturday night's Game 1, one would assume that rotation would turn to Ullmark for Game 2 on Monday night at TD Garden.

But given that Swayman was excellent in net on Saturday night and stopped 35 shots in Boston's 5-1 victory, it may be a bit difficult for the Bruins to turn to Ullmark now. Whatever the case may be, Montgomery isn't tipping his hand.

And he's having a lot of fun being asked who his starting goalie is over and over and over again.

"It's funny you ask," Montgomery replied Monday morning when asked about the goaltender right off the bat. "I don't like keeping you guys in the dark. Do any of you play Wordle? The starting goalie tonight has two vowels in his first and last name."

Well that doesn't help much. (Unless you are going with that "And sometimes Y" rule and decide "Jeremy" should be ruled out tonight.) And that was the point; Montgomery wants to keep the hockey world (and more importantly, the Maple Leafs) guessing until just before the puck drops at 7 p.m. Monday night. It's gamesmanship at its finest.

"I don't know why we would divulge information. If you're preparing for a game, there are parts of the goaltender that are part of your pre-scout. That's an advantage for us, if we don't know who is starting," said Montgomery.

Make know mistake, the Bruins know who is starting, and both of the goalies know who is starting. But that doesn't mean that the team and Montgomery have to tell all of us.

"I don't tell my wife, I'm not going to tell you," joked Montgomery.

Guess all of us will just have to wait a few more hours to find get our answer.

Matt Geagan

Matthew Geagan is a sports producer for CBS Boston. He has been part of the WBZ sports team for nearly 20 years. He moved over to the web in 2012 and has covered all the highs (and a few lows) in Boston sports.