Boston Bruins: A Problem Between The Pipes In The Playoffs?

The Boston Bruins have a problem on their hands. Believe it or not, a team that is 53-11-and-5 with 111 points through 69 games played has something to think about heading into the Stanley Cup Playoffs.

The Bruins are still the only team in the NHL to have clinched a spot in the postseason, and with the absence of David Krejci in the team’s most recent game, it is apparent that the team is starting to manage the lineup as the regular season winds down. But that’s only where the problem starts for the Bruins. Once the playoffs begin, another major decision will have to be made.

Who gets the start between the pipes for Game One? Will they be willing to make a change, or stick with one guy for the whole ride? What does history say? How will the best team in the league handle the most important position during the most gut-wrenching time of the year?

Jeremy Swayman has been up-and-down this season, while Linus Ullmark has been mostly up, but with shutouts in each of his last two games Swayman is making a strong argument to be the Bruins’ starting goaltender for the Stanley Cup Playoffs.

Here are the games started for every goaltender that was part of a Stanley Cup championship team over the past 25 years (which takes us to the year before Jeremy Swayman was born):

• 2022 Colorado Avalanche (16 – Darcy Kuemper, 4 – Pavel Francouz)
• 2021 Tampa Bay Lightning (23 – Andrei Vasilevskiy)
• 2020 Tampa Bay Lightning (25 – Andrei Vasilevskiy)
• 2019 St. Louis Blues (26 – Jordan Binnington)
• 2018 Washington Capitals (22 – Braden Holtby, 2 – Philipp Grubauer)
• 2017 Pittsburgh Penguins (15 – Marc-Andre Fleury, 10 – Matt Murray)
• 2016 Pittsburgh Penguins (21 – Matt Murray, 2 – Jeff Zatkoff, 1 – Marc-Andre Fleury)
• 2015 Chicago Blackhawks (19 – Corey Crawford, 4 – Scott Darling)
• 2014 Los Angeles Kings (26 – Jonathan Quick)
• 2013 Chicago Blackhawks (23 – Corey Crawford)
• 2012 Los Angeles Kings (20 – Jonathan Quick)
• 2011 Boston Bruins (25 – Tim Thomas*)
• 2010 Chicago Blackhawks (22 – Antii Niemi)
• 2009 Pittsburgh Penguins (23 – Marc-Andre Fleury)
• 2008 Detroit Red Wings (18 – Chris Osgood, 4 – Dominik Hasek)
• 2007 Anaheim Ducks (18 – Jean-Sebastien Giguere, 5 – Ilya Bryzgalov)
• 2006 Carolina Hurricanes (23 – Cam Ward, 2 – Martin Gerber)
• 2004 Tampa Bay Lightning (23 – Nikolai Khabibulin)
• LOCKOUT
• 2003 New Jersey Devils (24 – Martin Brodeur*)
• 2002 Detroit Red Wings (23 – Dominik Hasek)
• 2001 Colorado Avalanche (23 – Patrick Roy)
• 2000 New Jersey Devils (23 – Martin Brodeur)
• 1999 Dallas Stars (23 – Ed Belfour)
• 1998 Detroit Red Wings (22 – Chris Osgood)
• 1997 Detroit Red Wings (20 – Mike Vernon)

On average it takes just over 23 games to win the Cup. That would mean that the winning team typically goes 16-and-7, which is a 70% winning percentage. To this point in the season, Linus Ullmark (34-5-and-1) has won 85% of his games and Jeremy Swayman (18-6-and-4) has won 64% of his games played.

A couple of things to note. Somehow the Pittsburgh Penguins won back-to-back Stanley Cups with three different starting goaltenders between 2016-17. I guess having the greatest player during his generation has something to do with that. The real outlier was Marc-Andre Fleury and Matt Murray essentially splitting the duties in 2017 due in part to injury.

Also, only two teams had the Vezina Trophy winner. Martin Brodeur with the New Jersey Devils in 2003 and Tim Thomas with the Bruins in 2011.

The likelihood of Linus Ullmark winning the Vezina this season are pretty high. According to the DraftKings Sportsbook Ullmark is (-3000) with Islanders’ goaltender Ilya Sorokin the second-favorite to win at (+1800).

If Ullmark is to claim the individual award come late June, it’s more probable than not that he has done so without winning the Stanley Cup. That being said, the odds of Ullmark winning the Vezina AND the Stanley Cup coincide with him starting every game during the postseason.

It would be unprecedented for the Bruins to win the Cup, Ullmark win the Vezina, and STILL have him and Jeremy Swayman get equal playing time. Ullmark has deserved to get the start in Game One of the First Round, that much is all but guaranteed. Barring a late-season collapse, he has been the B’s go-to guy all year.

But here’s the kicker. Neither Bruins’ netminder has much playoff experience, but in Swayman’s five career playoff starts he is 3-and-2 with a 2.63 goals against average and a .911 save percentage.

Ullmark has started just two career postseason games and is 0-and-2 with a 4.16 goals against average and an .860 save percentage. If that trend were to continue then Swayman is clearly the only option.

With 13 games remaining in the regular season, including three more sets of back-to-backs each weekend, unless one goalie goes down the drain the expectation is for both to get equal playing time down the stretch. Ullmark should be the Game One starter, but if he repeats his postseason performance of a year ago at least the Bruins have a solid backup they can turn to.

I wouldn’t be surprised if the starting goaltender is determined on a game-by-game basis. Head coach Jim Montgomery doesn’t have to wait for Ullmark or Swayman to lose a game before making a switch. He can make that decision based strictly on performance.

Whoever give the teams the best chance to win will get the most time between the pipes. Continuing the competition between the two netminders may be what helps lead this team to a championship.