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How worried should the Boston Bruins be about their goalie tandem ahead of playoffs?
The Boston Bruins are once again one of the top teams in the NHL heading into the Stanley Cup playoffs.
Boston is led by its goalie tandem of Jeremy Swayman and Linus Ullmark who are two of the best goalies in the NHL. However, the problem with having two good goalies is knowing who to start, as the Bruins alternated them in the playoffs last season, which cost them.
Now, with the playoffs upcoming, should Bruins fans be worried about the tandem?
Should Boston Bruins fans be worried about their goalies?
Bruins head coach Jim Montgomery has yet to decide what his team will do with the goalie tandem going into the playoffs.
This season, Ullmark has taken a step back as Swayman has been the starter, but Montgomery isn't ruling out rotating the goalies again in the playoffs.
“I don’t have a definitive answer on that,” Montgomery said, via NESN. “You might go two games in a row with one goalie if we keep doing it and rotate after that.
"When you start winning in the playoffs, it makes it harder to switch; lineup and goaltender, but that’s something we’re going to have to discuss internally. We know if you go with a platoon the whole year, switching in and switching out, you can’t expect one guy to ride the emotions of the playoffs by themselves.”
If the Bruins do rotate their goalies again, it is a bit of a concern as it is hard for either Swayman or Ullmark to build confidence. The best teams in the playoffs give their starter goalie every start to allow them to get the reps and not get rusty by sitting out a game.
Also, in the playoffs, there are no back-to-backs, so there is no reason to sit the starting goalie, which Montgomery isn't ruling out.
“You can’t emulate the intensity and the emotional drainage of the playoffs,” Montgomery explained. “That’s what makes it difficult. We can sit here and say we’re going to ride one guy, but you got to get into battle and see how guys are doing.”
If the playoff started right now, Boston Bruins fans should feel confident in Jeremy Swayman being their starting goalie. Although Ullmark has been better over the last five games, Swayman has been better this season and should be able to have success in the playoffs, so Bruins fans should feel confident in their goaltending.
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