There are certainly some good player storylines this postseason. When you look at the first-round series between the Dallas Stars and Vegas Golden Knights, a player you may have least expected dominated the series. Second-year player Wyatt Johnston was stellar, as he leads the team with four goals and seven points. With a team that has high-profile players, Johnston stood out the most. The same can be said for Boston Bruins’ goalie Jeremy Swayman.
There were questions as to who would start in Game 1 of round one. Linus Ullmark had a stronger finish to the season, whereas Swayman struggled after the trade deadline. However, Swayman got the nod and never looked back. In fact, he is a huge reason why the Bruins advanced to the second round and is doing something that a goalie hasn’t done since the days of Tim Thomas.
Swayman Performing Like Thomas
Goaltending has been a blessing for the Bruins’ organization and they’ve been able to transition seamlessly from one guy to the next. There are numerous teams that haven’t had that luxury and are still in search of their number-one goalie. Fortunately, the Bruins have had the luxury of having two starting-caliber guys but the one getting the spotlight is Swayman. When it comes to the playoffs overall, he has performed better than Ullmark and finally removed the narrative of being the guy to lose in Game 7. What Swayman is doing right now is nothing short of amazing and he’s put himself in a tier with another Bruins playoff legend.
Related: Bruins’ Convincing Game 1 Win Shows Depth on the Roster
Swayman finished the first round against the Toronto Maple Leafs with a .950 save percentage (SV%) and a 1.49 goals against average (GAA.) Also, he ranks sixth in NHL playoff history since 2003-04 with the fewest goals allowed in a single series, which puts him in a class with some high-profile names. One of those names is Thomas, who not only helped the Bruins win the Stanley Cup in 2011, but also won the Conn Smythe Trophy.
That’s good company to be in if you are Swayman. Thomas and at-the-time Los Angeles Kings goalie Jonathan Quick both won the Conn Smythes, Quick winning a year after Thomas. Thomas was sensational in the 2011 Stanley Cup Final, which is where the comparison comes in. Against the Vancouver Canucks, Thomas allowed eight goals through seven games, one fewer than Swayman allowed to the Maple Leafs. Thomas also pitched two shutouts in the series, including Game 7 to win it all. He…
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