Jeremy Swayman has Boston Bruins fans believing that with him, anything is possible during this Stanley Cup Playoff run. The Olympian had a bounce-back year after struggling last season, posting a .908 save percentage and a 2.71 goals-against average. He played his way into representing his country and once again showed why he is one of the top goaltenders in the league. The top-seeded Buffalo Sabres have to be wary of him stealing a couple of games in the first round.
Sturm on Swayman's bounce-back season:
— Bridgette Proulx (@bridgetteproulx) April 15, 2026
"He was amazing. It was a tough year for him last year, but he needed maybe the World Championship. He needed that summer, he maybe needed that coaching change, new guys in the locker room, because he came in with a very big smile, and he… pic.twitter.com/68BnxUulFZ
Swayman has been rolling lately, posting a .916 save percentage and a 2.30 goals-against average over his last 10 games. He ended the season with a bang against a checked-out New Jersey Devils team, posting a 21-save shutout, which was his second of the season. While the Bruins dominated that game from start to finish, it was a confidence builder for the goaltender who always seems to elevate his game in the big moments.
Swayman reflected on his season and what helped him this year:
— Bridgette Proulx (@bridgetteproulx) April 15, 2026
"I think it was a lot of growth. I was where I wanted to be mentally, I was where I wanted to be physically, and it couldn't happen without experience up until this point."
"It's easy to come into a locker room like… pic.twitter.com/Zcgkhrzsw6
The problem for the Bruins is their scoring, which is where Ukko-Pekka Luukonen comes in. Swayman can play as well as he wants, but if Boston's offense doesn't show up, the team will suffer an early exit. The Bruins goaltender allowed two or fewer goals in four of his five starts in April, but owned a 1-3-1 record. That stat is bad news for the Bruins, but their offense did show up in the final two games thanks to a boost from the bottom-six.
Jeremy Swayman vs Ukko-Pekka Luukkonen matchup
Ukko-Pekka Luukkonen has been equally impressive as Swayman in April, allowing two or fewer goals in three of his four starts. It was a bit of a rough end to March, but it looks like the Sabres' projected starter is peaking at the right time after Alex Lyon's injury. It'll be the Finnish goaltender's net for as long as he wants to keep it during this playoff run.
While the goaltending battle could be memorable, Swayman has a slight advantage in experience. He hasn't played a playoff game since the 2018-19 season in the OHL with the Sudbury Wolves, failing to appear in any games with either the Sabres or Rochester Americans. Luukkonen was also on Finland's roster at last year's 4 Nations Face-Off, but didn't get any action.
How will Luukkonen perform under pressure? This is the first season of his career in which he has really been playing meaningful hockey, but he has been able to handle it thus far. The playoffs are a different animal, and better goaltenders than Luukkonen have fallen apart at TD Garden in that environment.
In contrast, Swayman has 20 NHL playoff games under his belt, including the 2024 postseason when he nearly put the team on his back and defeated the Stanley Cup Champion Florida Panthers in the second round with a 2.15 goals-against average and a .933 save percentage.
While this year's numbers make it hard to choose a clear-cut winner, Swayman gets the advantage here in experience. However, if Luukkonen performs well under the bright lights and stymies the offense, the Bruins could be in trouble.
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