BOSTON — Linus Ullmark took a step again as soon as the Bruins started embarking on their run within the Stanley Cup playoffs, which the 30-year-old understood.
Ullmark spent the 2023-24 season platooning at goalie with teammate Jeremy Swayman, preserving Boston’s one-two punch intact from final season. However as soon as the postseason rolled round, Bruins head coach Jim Montgomery elected to place the two-man goaltender rotation apart and maintain Swayman in entrance of the pipes because the go-to each night time starter.
Ullmark opened up about watching the Bruins fall into early elimination for the second yr straight, this time predominately on the sidelines.
“I believe it might’ve been harder if I might’ve performed many of the video games main as much as the playoffs after which been sat apart,” Ullmark mentioned throughout Sunday’s Bruins end-of-season availability. “Trigger then I’d’ve felt entitled to play extra video games. However at this level, we had the rotation and I had dialog with Bob (Essensa) as effectively, main into the playoffs.”
Story continues beneath commercial
The nine-year veteran went 0-1-0 in two appearances (one begin) this postseason, recording a .884 save proportion whereas saving 43 pictures and surrendering 5 targets. That got here after Ullmark made 39 begins in 40 appearances for the Bruins within the common season.
Swayman, in the meantime, wasted no time catching hearth to start the postseason hunt, giving Boston a lift. Within the first spherical, Swayman notched a .950 save proportion, permitting simply 9 targets within the seven-game sequence and recording 172 saves. Montgomery noticed no cause to make a change and stored Swayman in entrance of Boston’s internet, permitting the 25-year-old to complete with a .917 save proportion in opposition to the Panthers in Spherical 2.
By all of it, Ullmark expressed nothing however help for Swayman.
“I’ve mentioned this many instances earlier than in terms of these form of issues — in terms of me and Sway — we’re all the time gonna have one another’s backs and help one another,” Ullmark defined. “As a result of meaning if he’s taking part in effectively, the staff’s taking part in effectively and we now have alternative to win. We wanna win the final sport of the season.”
Story continues beneath commercial
Ullmark added: “It’s a must to keep skilled. It’s a must to put your satisfaction apart and take into consideration what’s higher for the staff proper now.”
