Jeremy Swayman made 23 saves in Sunday’s 5-3 victory over Montreal. Linus Ullmark is expected to start Tuesday against Florida. The two will split the remaining back-to-back games against Buffalo and Toronto.
The goalkeeping competition, at least cosmetically, will continue through Game 82. But Ullmark has put the postseason debate on hold. The net is yours to start the playoffs.
As of March 15, 36 goaltenders, including Ullmark and Swayman, had made 10 or more appearances before Sunday’s games. Ullmark’s .939 save percentage was the best of this cohort. Swayman was .891, 31 for 36.
It could be argued that Ullmark was responsible for Rangers’ only goal in the Bruins’ 3-1 victory on Saturday. In the third period, Ullmark put too much muscle into a backhand clear and sent the puck over the glass. Mika Zibanejad scored on the next power play.
You could also argue that Ullmark put out a handful of discs that should have landed on their network. Nothing escaped Ullmark, whether it was Zibanejad in the second or Frank Vatrano later in the period.
“Just read and react, then act on it,” Ullmark said of his gloved hand. “There are a lot of good players out there who can shoot. Mike is one of them. A little luck there. Sometimes that’s what you need.”
Fortune did not seem to be on Ullmark’s side in his earlier start. On April 14, Erik Brannstrom’s first-period slap shot skimmed past Jesper Froden’s stick and screamed into the Ullmark cage.
Ullmark finished the period. But Ullmark was declared unavailable for the remaining two periods and the three games that followed. A windshield puck would do that to a lot of goalkeepers.
Luck was on Ullmark’s side, though, after the early birdies stopped ringing. More than three games away from looking at the opposing rubber was enough to put him back in the net.
However, there remained the question of how Ullmark would respond, not only to being fired, but to the trauma of having a rocket removed from his face. He put that matter to rest.
Ullmark stopped 30 of 31 shots. He seemed big, square, smooth, calm and patient, all qualities that would serve him well in Game 1 of the first round.
“He played very well there,” coach Bruce Cassidy said. “Unfortunate in the only goal. We lost a lead and couldn’t recover with his D-man there. But other than that, he was excellent.”
Gone is the messy pleat coverage of the early days of Ullmark. So are the untimely goals he regularly allowed. Everything is tighter, cleaner and more buttoned up.
“I don’t think about that at all,” Ullmark said Saturday of starting Game 1. “I try to focus on what’s important right now. For me, today was this game. Tomorrow we have a game against Montreal. Then when that game is over, you focus on the next one and keep building from there. If they ask me to play, I will play. If they want to play with Sway, I’ll be there for him and I’ll back him up.”
This doesn’t mean the postseason network is Ullmark’s forever. Precisely the opposite. Swayman will see playing time, and not just for the cleanup in Hall 40 like he did last year when he relieved a lame Tuukka Rask in Game 5 against the Islanders.
This season, Ullmark has appeared in 39 games. Sunday marked Swayman’s 40th appearance. They are professional records for both goalkeepers.
So it stands to reason that two disc stoppers who have essentially shared the regular-season net will continue to do so in the playoffs. That it goes against traditional thinking doesn’t matter.
It wouldn’t make sense to ask Ullmark, for example, to play seven straight games in the first round, let alone 20 or more if the Bruins advance to the Stanley Cup Final. Ullmark’s season-high streak is four consecutive starts. Swayman is three.
Everything goes up in the playoffs, from stress to temperature. It wouldn’t be fair for any of the goalkeepers to take on a full workload when only 50 per cent has been the norm.
The issue, then, is not whether both goalies will see action in the postseason. The matter is when.
It will be up to Ullmark, Cassidy and goalkeeping coach Bob Essensa to determine the timing of Swayman’s turn. If Ullmark loses Game 1 and plays poorly, it’s an easy trade to give Swayman the Game 2 net.
Not so easy if Ullmark heats up to start Round 1. Too bad for the coach who replaces his ace after two wins, for example, to see his backup lay an egg in Game 3.
Cassidy will have to make the call at some point. She’s never been in this position, having enjoyed the luxury of Rask being the dunk ace. The time has changed.
(Photo by Jeremy Swayman and Linus Ullmark: Brian Babineau/NHLI via Getty Images)
Reference-theathletic.com