BOSTON | The presence of three goaltenders in the Canadiens’ lineup is not the only special situation involving masked men in the NHL. In its own way, it’s also what dominates the Bruins.
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Since the beginning of the season, coach Jim Montgomery has systematically alternated between Linus Ullmark and Jeremy Swayman to defend the Bruins’ net. After 15 games, Ullmark had eight starts and Swayman had seven. And if the Bruins continue to rack up wins, that philosophy will prevail throughout the season.
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“We warned them from the start of the season. “We told them that we would take turns, which would ensure that they would both be an integral part of our success,” commented Montgomery on the eve of the second meeting against the Canadian in a week.
“And the way they support each other is a great example of the culture in our locker room,” he continued.
The hug Ullmark and Swayman give each other every time they win has become a trademark, as has the triple low five between Carey Price and PK Subban for as long as it lasted.
This open camaraderie is still special, however, as certain goalkeepers have long been known for not wanting to give up their goal.
“If you have a Henrik Lundqvist, a Patrick Roy, a Martin Brodeur or a Dominik Hasek, you will definitely put them in the game for at least 60 games. But goalies of that stature don’t run on the street, the Bruins coach argued. We have two very good goalkeepers and the rotation works well.
Because of the way the 82-game schedule is constructed, the Bruins, and to some extent the Canadiens, could be pioneers in using goaltenders.
First, you must have the resources to make this happen.
“The seasons are long, so I imagine it could happen more often,” Swayman said after the Bruins practice.
“But we are lucky to have two goalkeepers who give the team a chance to win every night. Not all teams have that luxury,” he added.
Also in series
The two teammates are used to this type of sharing. Last year, Montgomery ran a virtually similar rotation starting in mid-December. With both goaltenders winning the William M. Jennings Trophy and Ullmark adding the Vezina to his list of accomplishments, we have to admit that the way we’ve gone about it has borne fruit.
If we also consider that the Bruins were surprised by the Florida Panthers in the first round, perhaps it would have been better to continue that trend.
“If it continues to work well. “We will definitely use this recipe on the show,” Montgomery admitted, clearly reluctant to relive a hasty outing.
With Swayman’s turn to guard the net, he will once again have to face the Canadian’s shots. The 24-year-old goalkeeper has yet to suffer a defeat in regular time this season.
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