Jeremy Swayman has been doing it all for the Boston Bruins in the first two games of their series against the Buffalo Sabres, which makes it hard to blame him for the final seven minutes of Game 1 that cost the Bruins a 2-0 series lead. Incredibly, Swayman carried the weight of the series when the playoffs started, and he actually exceeded expectations in the first two games.
Swayman would like a couple of his goals back in Game 1, and he would be gaining much more attention if he had held on for the win in the opener. The two goals he allowed at the end of Game 2 also hurt his stats, which is still an impressive .931 save percentage and 2.54 goals-against average.
Swayman's advanced analytics for goals saved above expected are also tops in the playoffs in a limited sample size, but in this case, you don't really need to look any further than the basic stats to see how much rubber the American goaltender is actually seeing. It's incredibly rare to see a goalie have a goals-against average above 2.50 while his save percentage also sits above .930.
Swayman on battling through the environment:
— Belle Fraser (@bellefraser1) April 22, 2026
"That’s part of the game. It’s my job to stay focused and enjoy it. A kid from Alaska never thought in a million years he’d get his name chanted by 20,000. So it’s a pretty incredible feeling." https://t.co/ref26tsgGZ
Swayman has his quirks that can drive fans crazy sometimes. A particularly annoying trait of Swayman is when he starts getting involved in scrums around the crease, both vocally and physically, with the other team. While some love it for his intensity, it often leads him to give up some unfortunate goals because he loses focus.
The Sabres know this, and they have been crashing the crease often in this series. The defensemen have been doling out punishment, but what caught my eye is how dialed in Swayman is for the moment: he always jumps up from the contact and skates directly into the corner, away from the action. When Swayman is in that mindset, there isn't much that is going to get past him.
Swayman was one of the key factors heading into this series, and there is still plenty of time for him to lose focus. However, he has been much better at home than on the road this season, and if that carries over to the playoffs, the Bruins might have a fun couple of days upcoming at TD Garden.
Add us as a preferred source on Google