Jeremy Swayman starts Game 7 for Bruins vs. Panthers
BOSTON -- With the season hanging in the balance, Bruins head coach Jim Montgomery has made a change at goaltender:
Linus Ullmark out, Jeremy Swayman in.
When the Bruins came out for warmups before Game 7 against the Florida Panthers, it was Swayman leading the team out of the tunnel and onto the ice.
The 24-year-old Swayman had been Ullmark's backup for the entire series, save for three minutes of work at the end of Game 4, when Ullmark departed after a scuffle with Florida forward Matthew Tkachuk.
But Ullmark's play declined notably over Games 5 and 6, when he allowed 10 goals on 57 shots faced for an .825 save percentage. His turnover behind his own net in overtime of Game 5 led directly to Florida's game-winning goal, and his six goals allowed in Game 6 were more than he had allowed in any game this season.
Montgomery admitted Saturday that a goalie change was possible, noting that the reason for such a change would be that Ullmark hadn't made enough stops.
Swayman faced the Panthers twice during the regular season and was not great, going 0-1-1 with an .881 save percentage and 4.03 GAA.
In his playoff career, Swayman owns a 3-3 record with a .907 save percentage and 2.64 GAA in seven total appearances.
