No more goalie rotation? Jeremy Swayman doesn't want to sit out for Bruins in Game 4 vs. Maple Leafs

BOSTON -- Jeremy Swayman played an outstanding game for the Bruins on Wednesday night, helping lead the team to a victory in Toronto in Game 3 of Boston's first-round series against the Maple Leafs.

Swayman doesn't know if he'll be asked to play again on Saturday night in Game 4. But he knows he wants to.

"I think for me, personally, I don't want rest," Swayman said with a brief chuckle in the victorious locker room after Boston's 4-2 win. "I just want to keep playing. I think no matter when I get the call, whether it's back-to-back or every other game, I want to make sure my body's ready and I'm ready to perform at my best."

The Bruins are, of course, employing a goaltender rotation this postseason. It's a unique setup, as teams almost always try to ride their best goaltender as deep as they can through the Stanley Cup Playoffs. But after sticking with Vezina winner Linus Ullmark last postseason after utilizing a goalie rotation throughout the regular season proved catastrophic, head coach Jim Montgomery opted to stick with what works for this playoff run.

Just three games in -- with Swayman winning twice and Ullmark losing his lone start thus far -- the system is already being tested.

Montgomery wasn't asked directly if Swayman will be tasked with starting Game 4, but he did say his goaltender has looked locked in this series.

"He's been terrific," Montgomery said of Swayman. "Like, he's -- I just love his compete level and his quickness, right? When it went 3-2, right after that, there was a barrage of like rebounds I think, if I'm remembering correctly, [Tyler] Bertuzzi had two of the chances. But there was two more it seemed like, and he was just square to the puck, and he's fighting, and he finds it. It inspires the bench."

Swayman has stopped 63 of the 66 shots he's faced this series, good for a .955 save percentage. He's also been a big part of the Bruins' penalty kill, stopping all 10 power-play shots he's faced thus far. (The Leafs went 0-for-5 with the man advantage in Game 3 and 0-for-3 in Game 1.)

"I'm excited," Swayman said when asked where he feels his game is at currently. "It's something that I think all the experience from this year and past years have accumulated, but I've still got a lot more to learn, that's for sure. And I'm looking forward to that."

Realistically, Montgomery could -- and probably should -- start Swayman in Game 4. The idea behind the rotation is that the Bruins are at their best when relying on both of their excellent goaltenders over a long stretch of time. The game-to-game reliance can vary, but the bigger-picture outlook shows the team does not necessarily have a goaltender who's ready to start 25 playoff games and carry the team. The team does have two goaltenders who can get hot and win games.

And while Ullmark (31 saves on 34 shots against in the Game 2 loss) wasn't bad, it was clear on Wednesday night that Swayman is locked in. Montgomery would be wise to ride that as long as Swayman allows, with both goaltenders and the entire roster understanding that a switch to Ullmark will be coming eventually. If Swayman has a bad game or even a mediocre game, the coach can make the switch that was already planned, and the Bruins could lean on the unique team strength of having two No. 1 goaltenders for what they hope will be a long playoff run.

It's unorthodox, yes, but it's a system that allowed the Bruins to go 112-32-20 over the past two regular seasons.

Whatever Montgomery decides (after the Bruins' extended break in Toronto before Game 4), Swayman said he'll be ready.

"Any time I get a chance to play, I'm gonna do whatever I can to help this team win," Swayman said. "Whether it's back-to-back or every other game, I'm just really grateful every time I do get a chance. And that's all I worry about."