Bruins coach Jim Montgomery did not reveal who his starting goaltender will be Monday night at TD Garden.
The Boston Bruins are back at TD Garden Monday night for Game 2 of the first round against the Toronto Maple Leafs with a 7 p.m. puck drop.
Led by a three-point (two goals, one assist) showing from Jake DeBrusk and 35 saves from Jeremy Swayman, the Bruins took a 1-0 series lead Saturday in the 5-1 win. They’ll look to extend their advantage Monday before heading to Toronto for Game 3.
Boston skated Monday morning at Warrior Ice Arena. A pregame notebook, below:
Starting goaltender is decided, not announced
Bruins coach Jim Montgomery has his starting goaltender for Game 2, but it won’t be public knowledge until warmups.
“I don’t tell my wife, I’m not telling you,” Montgomery said Monday.
Swayman got his first career start to a series Saturday and shined with a shutdown performance. Beyond the 35 stops, Swayman was poised, positionally sound and simply happy to be there. The 25-year-old was especially sharp at the beginning of the second period when Boston was on the penalty kill, and made six saves in the opening 2:14 of play.
“Dream come true. It’s such a privilege to play in this league and for this city,” Swayman said Saturday. “Taking that first lap and hearing the fans, seeing the towels – it’s a pretty emotional feeling.”
It’s yet to be seen if the Bruins will stick to the goalie rotation that brought them success in the regular season. Linus Ullmark – who has a 2.57 goals against average and .915 SV% through 40 games – started in six of the seven first-round matchups last playoffs, and had a particularly strong second-half this year.
No matter who is in net, the team seems to prepare the same.
“From a defensive perspective, and how they play in goal, we don’t really worry about that too much,” Kevin Shattenkirk said Monday. “I think each one of them really, truly is happy when the other guy does well. I think that bleeds right into our locker room and shows how great of a group we have.”
Kevin Shattenkirk embracing lineup opportunity
Shattenkirk was a healthy scratch for five of the Bruins’ final 10 games of the regular season. With the entrance of trade-deadline acquisition Andrew Peeke and the consistency of Parker Wotherspoon, the veteran defenseman found himself on the outside looking in.
However, the 35 year old slotted back onto the third pair with Peeke to end the regular season, and was promoted to run the point on the first power play unit. Both of those roles remained in Game 1, as they will in Game 2 as well.
“It’s so much fun. It doesn’t get lost on me at my age, and at this point in my career,” Shattenkirk said of playoff hockey.
Both Shattenkirk and Montgomery credited “open communication” as the reason the blueliner was able to get back into consistent playing time.
“It could have probably gone another way if it hadn’t been such great talks with the coaches…it allowed me not to dwell on things and beat myself up,” Shattenkirk said.
“Just kept going over video and reinforcing areas that they always want me to be improving on that are maybe areas that would take me out of games if I’m not focusing on them. Just kept me fresh and allowed me to be in the right mind frame when I went into the lineup.”
Heading into Game 2, Shattenkirk said the entire D-corps is focusing on being strong on the first battle down low and protecting their own net. He noted the Maple Leafs were able to create second and third opportunities in the slot on Saturday – the B’s will look to limit that.
New power play units are sticking
The Bruins had three power play goals on 27 opportunities in their last 10 games of the regular season. Despite their personnel, things simply were not clicking, and it was a problem with playoffs around the corner.
Montgomery shook up his units, aiming to have more of a 1A and 1B system in the postseason. Most notably, Charlie McAvoy and Brad Marchand were moved down to the second unit with DeBrusk, Charlie Coyle and Morgan Geekie. Shattenkirk was placed on the first unit with David Pastrnak, Pavel Zacha, Pat Maroon and Danton Heinen.
“I think it’s great. Especially if guys are tired or something, you can throw in the other unit,” Heinen said Monday. “I think that’s good, this time of year if you can get two units going, that’s ideal.”
Each unit has produced since the switch – including two power-play goals from DeBrusk in Saturday’s Game 1 win. The new-look groupings skated together again Monday morning, and will carry over into Game 2. Special teams can be the difference maker in the postseason, and the Bruins’ overall play will be elevated if they can stay consistent on the man advantage.
“I think we’ve been pretty direct. Just a matter of finding the open play. I’ve had good conversations with ‘Pasta,’ he’s obviously the guy that we want with the puck or trying to get shots, but we also know that teams are going to take that away,” Shattenkirk said.
“If I can get my shots in from the point, we have ‘Patty’ at the net front who’s going to do a great job there and ‘Pav’ in the middle who is going to find loose pucks.”
William Nylander could be a possibility
Other than the Bruins’ starting goaltender, the question of the day has been whether Toronto forward William Nylander will be able to play in Game 2.
Nylander – who posted 98 points (40 goals, 58 assists) through 82 regular season games – was sidelined Saturday. It’s unclear if Nylander is dealing with an injury or illness. The 27 year old was on the ice for the Leafs’ optional Sunday skate, and participated in Monday’s practice but did not take line rushes.
Toronto coach Sheldon Keefe did not fully rule Nylander out for a Game 2 return, and said they’ll “see how he feels the rest of the day” and make a decision closer to puck drop.
Nylander would be a key addition to Toronto’s offense that got its lone goal from David Kampf on Saturday. Nylander is second in goals on the team – only behind Auston Matthews – and hit a new career high in points this year.
Bruins projected lineup based on Monday’s practice
Danton Heinen-Pavel Zacha-David Pastrnak
Brad Marchand-Charlie Coyle-Jake DeBrusk
Jakub Lauko-Morgan Geekie-Trent Frederic
Johnny Beecher-Jesper Boqvist-Pat Maroon
Hampus Lindholm-Charlie McAvoy
Matt Grzelcyk-Brandon Carlo
Kevin Shattenkirk-Andrew Peeke
Jeremy Swayman/Linus Ullmark
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