This Bruins goalie is the team's biggest X-factor for the playoffs.
The Boston Bruins are set to face off against the Buffalo Sabres in the first round of the playoffs. This certainly has the potential to be a great series.
The Sabres will not be an easy opponent for the Bruins, though, as they were one of the NHL's best teams this season. The Sabres finished this season with a 50-23-8 record and won the Atlantic Division with 108 points because of it. They also had a ridiculous 37-9-4 record in their final 50 games of the campaign.
If the Bruins hope to upset the Sabres in the first round, there is no question that they will need Jeremy Swayman to be on his A-game. Because of this, he is, without a doubt, the Bruins' biggest X-factor heading into the postseason.
Swayman memorably helped carry the Bruins past the Toronto Maple Leafs in the first round of the 2024 Stanley Cup Playoffs after they lost a significant amount of their talent during the previous offseason.
While the Bruins would fall to the Panthers in the second round that year, Swayman did his best to keep them in the series. He had a .927 save percentage or better in four out of his six appearances against Florida that round. He also finished that postseason with a .933 save percentage and a 2.15 goals-against average in 12 games.
If Swayman plays at his highest level, it would certainly help the Bruins' chances of beating an exciting team on the rise like the Sabres. The possibility of him doing so should not be ruled out, as he is coming off a strong bounce-back season with the Bruins in 2025-26.
It will be interesting to see if Swayman can help the Bruins go on a real run this postseason as clear underdogs.