Jeremy Swayman was the Bruins’ MVP in their first-round win against the Leafs originally appeared in NBC Sports Boston
BOSTON – The Bruins would be planning their summer vacation right now if it weren’t for Jeremy Swayman’s breakout performance against the Toronto Maple Leafs in the first round of the 2024 Stanley Cup Playoffs.
The 25-year-old goalie was the Bruins’ most valuable player in the series, especially in the their 2-1 overtime victory in Game 7 on Saturday night in Jardim TD.
“I’m very grateful and proud of these guys in this locker room,” Swayman said after the game. “What a feeling to do that in front of these fans.”
Swayman made 30 saves on 31 shots in the series clincher as the Bruins closed out the series and secured a second-round matchup with the Florida Panthers.
“I think he was our best player in the series and it’s not even close,” Bruins coach Jim Montgomery said of Swayman. “I think his confidence and arrogance permeated the group. It took a while, but he got there.”
Swayman Started Game 1 and led the Bruins to a 5-1 victory. He did not play in Game 2 as the B’s continued their regular season goaltending rotation. Linus Ullmark started and played well, but the Leafs won 3-2 to even the series. Swayman played well again in game 3 in Torontomaking it very difficult to get it out of the network.
Montgomery made some questionable decisions in this series, but one lineup decision he always got right was sticking with Swayman, and the young goalie rewarded his coach’s trust with fantastic results.
Swayman made six starts in the series and allowed two or fewer goals in each. He made 172 saves on 182 shots for a .950 save percentage, the best of any first-round goaltender who played at least four games.
The Leafs based on the quality and quantity of their scoring chances were expected to score 16.58 goals against Swayman, by natural statistics trick. But they only managed to get the puck past him nine times.
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Swayman had to be nearly perfect in the last three games of the series because the Bruins had such a difficult time generating offense during that stretch. The B’s scored just one goal in Games 5 and 6, and found the back of the net just once in regulation in Game 7.
Swayman’s margin for error was slim, but he came through with several saves to send the Bruins to the second round. The Bruins will need him to be just as good in the second round if they want to reach the Eastern Conference finals for the first time since 2019.
The Panthers are the undisputed favorites to win the Stanley Cup after finishing first in the Atlantic Division and then eliminating the Tampa Bay Lighting in five games in the first round. The defending Eastern Conference champions have scored at least three goals in each of those five games against the Lightning. Florida is loaded with great depth and elite talent.
It will be a tough series for the Bruins, but they will have a chance if Swayman continues to play at such a high level. He’s locked in now, and in the playoffs, strong goaltending is sometimes enough to make a deep run.
