How Linus Ullmark Felt About Bruins Goalie Situation In Playoffs
BOSTON — Linus Ullmark took a step back once the Bruins embarked on their run in the Stanley Cup playoffs, which the 30-year-old understood.
Ullmark spent the 2023-24 season platooning at goalie with teammate Jeremy Swayman, keeping Boston’s one-two punch intact from last season. But once the postseason rolled around, Bruins head coach Jim Montgomery elected to put the two-man goaltender rotation aside and keep Swayman in front of the pipes as the go-to starter.
Ullmark opened up about watching the Bruins fall into elimination predominately on the sidelines.
“I think it would’ve been tougher if I would’ve played most of the games leading up to the playoffs and then been sat aside,” Ullmark said during Sunday’s Bruins end-of-season availability. “Cause then I might’ve felt entitled to play more games. But at this point, we had the rotation and I had a good conversation with Bob (Essensa) as well, leading into the playoffs.”
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The nine-year veteran went 0-1-0 in two appearances (one start) this postseason, recording a .884 save percentage while saving 43 shots and surrendering five goals. That came after Ullmark made 39 starts in 40 appearances for the Bruins in the regular season.
Swayman, meanwhile, wasted no time catching fire to begin the postseason hunt, giving Boston a boost. In the first round, Swayman notched a .950 save percentage, allowing just nine goals in the seven-game series and recording 172 saves. Montgomery saw no reason to make a switch and kept Swayman in front of Boston’s net, allowing the 25-year-old to finish with a .917 save percentage against the Panthers in Round 2.
Through it all, Ullmark expressed nothing but support for Swayman.
“I’ve said this many times before when it comes to these sort of things — when it comes to me and Sway — we’re always gonna have each other’s backs and support each other,” Ullmark explained. “Because that means if he’s playing well, the team’s playing well and we have a good opportunity to win. We wanna win the last game of the season.”
Ullmark added: “You have to stay professional. You have to put your pride aside and think about what’s better for the team right now.”