3 X-Factors that will decide if the Bruins win their second straight Presidents’ Trophy

Linus Ullmark must return to Vezina form when called upon

Last season’s Vezina winner has not enjoyed as great of a run through the All-Star Break, meaning the younger guy in the tandem, Jeremy Swayman, has carried the Bruins more often this season. When they won the Presidents’ Trophy last year, however, Swayman and Ullmark were at the top of their respective games, and the same thing must happen this year for the Bruins to shine. 

One thing they can’t do is to roll exclusively with one over the other, as they tried that approach in the playoffs and it cost them big. Ullmark went 3-3 in those games if you remember, and a deviation from that won’t help the Bruins. Simply put, Ullmark must bring his A-Game when Boston starts playing again, and ideally, returns to something resembling Vezina Trophy form. 

Swayman has shown us he will be fine, so the pressure is on Ullmark to hold up. The good news is that Ullmark has been nothing short of stellar since he arrived in Boston for the 2021-22 season, and therefore, it’s highly likely we will see him up his game now that it’s the most meaningful time of the year.