Swayman leads Bruins out for warmups, likely Game 7 starter

A young fan leans on the glass waiting for the Bruins to take the ice in pregame warmups. John Tlumacki/The Boston Globe

By Conor Ryan

April 30, 2023

2 minutes to read

The fate of the Bruins’ season will apparently fall on the shoulders of Jeremy Swayman.

The 24-year-old netminder is expected to get the start in goal for Boston in its decisive Game 7 showdown with the Panthers on Sunday night, with Swayman leading his teammates onto the TD Garden ice during warmups.

It stands as Swayman’s first start in net since April 13 — Boston’s regular-season finale.

Swayman’s sudden deployment between the pipes is a last-ditch measure designed to steady a Bruins defense that has taken on water as of late.

Linus Ullmark earned the nod in net for the first six games of this first-round series against Florida. Be it injury, fatigue, or a regression in his high level of play, Ullmark has put forth dwindling returns the longer this playoff bout has gone on.

Ullmark holds a .889 save percentage so far in this series, relinquishing 10 total goals in Boston’s defeats in both Games 5 and 6.

Ullmark’s sterling regular-season totals (40-6-1, .938 save percentage) speak for themselves. But Swayman has more than held his own as Boston’s backup option in net this season.

After a sluggish start to the season, Swayman closed out his second full NHL campaign with a .932 save percentage and four shutouts over his final 21 appearances.

Still, Swayman is going into a season-deciding contest with little in terms of reps over the last few weeks. The former Maine Black Bear has logged a total of 3:11 of ice time against the Panthers in this series, earning mop-up duty in Game 4 after Ullmark’s attempted heavyweight scrap with Panthers power forward Matthew Tkachuk.

Besides his scarce workload, Swayman has also struggled against Florida’s high-octane offense this season. In two games against the Panthers (both at FLA Live Arena), Swayman posted an 0-1-1 record with a .881 save percentage.

Swayman will have little time to shake off some rust, especially against a hungry Panthers squad looking to land a knockout punch on Causeway Street.

But with Boston’s Cup hopes hanging in the balance, Swayman might offer the best shot of keeping this season alive for at least a few more weeks.

“When it comes to Jeremy Swayman, he is the most confident individual that I know,” Jim Montgomery said on Saturday. “So, he’s kind of like, you give the ball to [Roger] Clemens to go win Game 7 on the mound. You’re down in the last two minutes, and Tom Brady’s got the ball, you like your chances. If it’s Swayman that’s in net, I have the utmost confidence in him.”