Boston Bruins: 3 Storylines From the 2021 Season

Apr 8, 2021; Washington, District of Columbia, USA; Boston Bruins left wing Brad Marchand (63) hugs Bruins goaltender Jeremy Swayman (1) after their game against the Washington Capitals at Capital One Arena. Mandatory Credit: Geoff Burke-USA TODAY Sports
Apr 8, 2021; Washington, District of Columbia, USA; Boston Bruins left wing Brad Marchand (63) hugs Bruins goaltender Jeremy Swayman (1) after their game against the Washington Capitals at Capital One Arena. Mandatory Credit: Geoff Burke-USA TODAY Sports
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Apr 16, 2021; Boston, Massachusetts, USA; Boston Bruins goaltender Jeremy Swayman (1) handles the puck during the first period against the New York Islanders at TD Garden. Mandatory Credit: Bob DeChiara-USA TODAY Sports
Apr 16, 2021; Boston, Massachusetts, USA; Boston Bruins goaltender Jeremy Swayman (1) handles the puck during the first period against the New York Islanders at TD Garden. Mandatory Credit: Bob DeChiara-USA TODAY Sports

2. Rookie goalie Jeremy Swayman burst onto the scene.

The defense was not the only position grouping that was hit hard by injuries and COVID-19 issues. Tuukka Rask went down in early March with an injury that forced him to miss a significant amount of time and Jaroslav Halak took over the role as the primary goalie.

In mid-March, Halak went through heath and safety protocols for COVID-19 which put him out of action, which opened the door for rookie netminder Jeremy Swayman and the former University of Maine standout took full advantage of his chance to show what he could do.

In 10 games, Swayman went 7-3 with two shutouts. He allowed just 15 goals on 271 shots, while sporting an impressive 1.50 goals against average (GAA) and a .945 save percentage (SV%). The 111th pick in the 2017 Entry Draft played the third period in Game 5 against the Islanders in a 5-4 loss on June 7, in which he took the loss after allowing one goal on three shots.

Regardless, with Rask and Halak free agents this summer, it will be interesting to see what direction the Bruins go in the net next season. Swayman got his chance to show what he could so and 22-year-old from Anchorage, Alaska made his case to be with the big club next season. It was an impressive 10 games for Sway.