Jeremy Swayman Posts Shutout in Big Response Game

Jeremy Swayman made 26 saves in the Boston Bruin's 3-0 win over the San Jos Sharks Thursday night at TD Garden.

BOSTON – As the final buzzer sounded Thursday night at TD Garden in the Boston Bruins’ 3-0 win over the San Jose Sharks, one thing was abundantly clear: Jeremy Swayman got his swagger back – and it wasn’t gone for long.

The goaltender posted a 26-save shutout in a convincing response to getting pulled from Monday’s game against the Columbus Blue Jackets after allowing two goals on 19 shots.

“Love the way Jeremy responded, the way I expect him to respond,” Bruins coach Jim Montgomery said Thursday. “He’s a battler, he’s a competitor, that’s why I love having him between the pipes.”

Montgomery said Monday’s second-period yank was to “try and slow the game down,” and he gave Swayman the chance to redeem himself against the Sharks in a second consecutive start.

That’s just what Swayman did in a shutdown 60 minutes.

“It’s exactly what I wanted to do, is to make sure I’m keeping the puck out of the net,” Swayman said following the win. “It feels good, but at the same time, plenty to work on still and I want to use this as a momentum piece moving forward.”

Despite Monday’s goalie switch and 5-2 loss against Columbus, there was little concern in and outside of the room that Swayman would quickly get back to his game. The Bruins as a whole were struggling on their three-game skid and, if anything, goaltending has been the least of their problems this season.

“I love [Swayman’s] attitude. Very competitive, competes all day, every single day in practice and games,” captain Brad Marchand said Thursday morning. “He’s always chomping at the bit – that’s just who he is. It’s what makes him such a great player in this league and is why he’ll have a great career. He has a great mindset.”

It wasn’t just Swayman’s sharp puck tracking and controlled stops that boosted the Bruins to their first win in eight days – the team’s defensive structure had a much more sound game in front of him, too. There was a greater buy-in to blocking shots, ending plays at the blue line and getting a stick in passing lanes which, in hand, bolstered Swayman’s performance.

“That’s a big piece for us moving forward and I’m just so happy to see the guys take initiative and play Bruins hockey in front of our fans,” Swayman said.

Swayman, like the rest of his teammates, is taking things one day at a time, though, and isn't turning a blind eye to the inconsistencies in the group’s recent play just because of one win.

Thursday’s victory was a building block, and the B’s have a bigger task at hand Saturday when they take on the high-flying Toronto Maple Leafs – a game in which Linus Ullmark will likely get the start.

“A lot of games coming up, so that’s a good bounce back,” Swayman said. “But again, new day tomorrow.”