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Jeremy Swayman’s unwavering confidence gives Bruins reason to believe vs. Panthers
"I’d run through a wall for these guys. ... I’d do anything I can to make a save."
SUNRISE, Fla. — The odds aren’t exactly in the Bruins’ favor against the Panthers.
Trailing 3-1 in their best-of-seven series with Florida entering Tuesday night, Boston is 0-25 in franchise history in playoff rounds when mired in such a steep deficit.
But that didn’t shake Jeremy Swayman’s resolve in the immediate aftermath of Boston’s Game 4 loss on Sunday night.
“The reality is that we’re going to go to Florida and we’re going to play the same game and we’re going to get it done,” Swayman said in Boston’s home locker room. “I have no doubt in this group. And we have a lot of confidence and a lot of motivation to bring it back to Boston.”
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And on Tuesday, Swayman and the Bruins did just that.
With his team on the brink of elimination, Swayman once again rose to the occasion in Game 5 at Amerant Bank Arena — stopping 28 of the 29 shots that came his way en route to a 2-1 victory.
Swayman saved his best save for last on Tuesday. With Florida pulling Sergei Bobrovsky from his net for an extra skater, the Panthers made one final push in the third period as Boston clung to a one-goal lead.
With nine seconds left on the clock, Florida defenseman sailed a puck from the boards and across the slot. It landed on the stick of 57-goal scorer Sam Reinhart — who beat Swayman with a rebound tally earlier in Game 5.
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It was just the player that the Panthers wanted to take the shot in that scenario. Thankfully, the Bruins had just the player they needed in net to keep their season intact.
“His maturation has been amazing,” Charlie McAvoy said of Boston’s netminder. “Just seeing the growth that he’s had in his game and I think the biggest thing with him is his confidence and his belief in himself.
“It really does rub off on everybody. You have so much confidence playing in front of him. It rubs off, the confidence, the belief that he has in himself — you really do start to feel it. The guys in our room feel it. It has a positive impact on everybody and he’s been outstanding. We got to keep doing our job in front of him.”
Swayman’s post-loss media scrums have followed a similar script during this playoff run, with the 25-year-old goalie projecting confidence and the inevitability of a bounce-back performance from his team.
He’s backed up those claims with his play on the ice — with Swayman now 6-5 during the 2024 Stanley Cup Playoffs with a stellar .933 save percentage.
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Swayman’s emergence as a bona-fide, No. 1 option in net this spring has elevated Boston’s hopes of carrying their season into late May — even if the team still has a sizable hole to climb out of in this second-round series with Florida.
But Swayman’s poise and belief in his own abilities has been far from a new development at this stage of his still-young NHL career.
“Overall, he’s a very confident kid,” David Pastrnak said of Swayman’s poise under pressure. “You can see that from day one, he came to the locker room and quite honestly — that’s what you need from a goalie.
“He has a healthy cockiness is the only word I can think of in English. But in a good way. There’s never a doubt in him. He’s focused and you can see it every time he comes to the rink with the preparation he’s putting in and the way he works in practice. … We’ve been here since his day one. So it doesn’t surprise me. Obviously he’s an unbelievable player, the best player for our team.”
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If the Bruins have any shot of flipping the script and beating the Panthers amid a 3-1 series deficit, they’re going to need Swayman to lead the way.
It’s a challenge that Swayman will welcome as this series shifts back to Boston for Game 6.
“Just being me and embracing moments,” Swayman said of his approach this time of year. “That’s when I find the most enjoyment. Living life to the absolute fullest. I couldn’t be happier. It’s moment by moment, save by save, play by play.
“Just doing whatever I have to do to stop the puck. … When I’m dialed in, I’d run through a wall for these guys. I’d do anything I could for these guys. I’d do anything I can to make a save. That’s all I’m caring about out there. It’s really special to get wins like that.”
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