Hall of Famer Harshly Ranks Bruins' Goaltending
This Hall of Famer views the Bruins' goaltending as among the bottom half of the Eastern Conference playoff teams.
The Boston Bruins are preparing for what should be an extremely eventful first round against the Toronto Maple Leafs. While the Maple Leafs are regarded as having the better offense, the Bruins have the edge when it comes to their defense and goaltending.
When it comes to goaltending, the Bruins arguably have the NHL's top tandem with Jeremy Swayman and Linus Ullmark. However, one Hall of Famer does not seem to have much confidence in Boston's goaltending.
While on TNT, New York Rangers legend Henrik Lundqvist ranked the Bruins' goaltending as the sixth-best out of the playoff teams in the Eastern Conference. Charlie Lindgren of the Washington Capitals was ranked seventh, while Ilya Samsonov of the Leafs got the bottom spot.
It is surprising to see the Bruins ranked this low, as Swayman and Ullmark were once again among the top goalies in the NHL this season. Swayman had a 25-10-8 record, a 2.53 GAA, and a .916 SV% in 44 regular-season appearances. Ullmark, on the other hand, sported a 22-10-7 record, a 2.57 GAA, and a .915 SV% in 40 games.
While goalies like Igor Shesterkin, Andrei Vasilevskiy, and Ilya Sorokin are outstanding, it's fair to argue that Swayman and Ullmark should be ahead of at least Frederik Andersen and Sergei Bobrovsky. Alas, Lundqvist, one of the game's greatest goalies, doesn't feel that way.