Jeremy Swayman's Bad Decision Leads To Bruins Loss

Boston Bruins goalie Jeremy Swayman was outstanding during Boston’s 6-5 shootout loss to the Ottawa Senators, recording 39 saves. However, his poor decision with the puck late in the game factored into the team’s losing effort.

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The Bruins held a 5-4 lead with under a minute remaining in regulation when Swayman gained control of the puck and clearly attempted to score a goal with the Ottawa net empty. Instead, the Senators’ Josh Norris gloved the clearing attempt, kept the puck in the offensive zone and eventually scored the game-tying goal at 19:48.

Goalie goals have increased throughout the league. In fact, Pittsburgh Penguins’ Alex Nedeljkovic scored Friday night with an empty-net goal during the team’s 5-2 win over the Buffalo Sabres at KeyBank Center in Buffalo. So, when Swayman saw his chance to become the 17^th goalie in NHL history to score a goal, he gave it a bid, but it was untimely and led to Ottawa’s game-tying goal.

Since 2020, there have been five goalies to score an empty-net goal, including former Bruins goalie Linus Ullmark, who scored against the Vancouver Canucks on Feb. 25, 2023. He obviously has a close relationship with Swayman. The two were a solid tandem for Boston until Ullmark was traded to Ottawa last summer. He’s currently sidelined with a back injury but was in attendance for Saturday’s game. They spoke before the game, so that could be another reason Swayman decided to go for the goal.

The Bruins have five games in an eight-day stretch, beginning with Saturday’s loss to the Senators and Swayman will get the nod in the majority of those games. He’s faced 40-plus shots in three consecutive games and has made critical saves time and again.

“It’s just another day at the office,” he told reporters after the loss. “Doesn’t matter what comes your way, every shot matters in this league. I like getting shots and it’s my job to stop them.”

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