Why Bruins should start Swayman in must-win Game 7 vs. Panthers

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The Boston Bruins have one more chance to save their season and avoid one of the most disappointing exits in the history of the Stanley Cup Playoffs.

After taking a 3-1 lead in their first-round series against the Florida Panthers, the Bruins have lost back-to-back games. Turnovers and bad goaltending have plagued the Bruins in these defeats, especially in Game 6 when the Panthers won 7-5 in one of the most exciting postseason matchups in years.

With no more margin for error, the Bruins need to make a switch in net and start backup goalie Jeremy Swayman in Game 7.

"I think we're going to be consistent. We're going to review the game and we're going to analyze everybody that played," Bruins head coach Jim Montgomery told reporters when asked after Game 6 if he might make a goalie change for Game 7. "If we think there needs to be a change, we're gonna make a change."

For weeks I have been very much against the idea of a goalie platoon. History suggests it doesn't work. Eighteen of the 23 Stanley Cup champions this century had a goalie who earned all 16 of his team's wins in that playoff run.

The only reasons to make a goalie switch would be if Linus Ullmark wasn't 100 percent healthy or his performance declined sharply. After watching the last two games, you could argue that both of those scenarios are happening.

Ullmark has played awful since the beginning of Game 5. There's no other way to describe it. Yes, the team has played poorly in front of him by turning the puck over in brutal fashion. But you need your goalie to make some timely saves this time of the year and he hasn't done that consistently enough. Ullmark has given up 10 goals with a horrendous .824 save percentage in the last two games. His six goals allowed in Game 6 were a season high. Ullmark is 3-3 with a .889 save percentage in the series overall. That's just not good enough.

It's also fair to wonder if Ullmark is battling some sort of injury. His athleticism has been a bit underwhelming in Round 1. His handling of the puck has been suspect for a few games now, and that was brutally evident on the mistake that cost the Bruins in overtime of Game 5. Ullmark was removed from the April 11 win against the Washington Capitals in the third period because of muscle tightening. He hasn't looked 100 percent healthy since. Even if Ullmark is actually fine, he has played six games in the last 12 days. He did not have a stretch with that many appearances over a 12-day span in the regular season.

You can also make the case for Swayman from a statistical perspective. He tied for fourth among goalies with a .920 save percentage and ranked fourth with a 2.27 GAA in 37 games played during the regular season. He had a sparkling .862 save percentage on high-danger chances, which ranked No. 2 in the league among goalies who made 25 or more appearances. The Bruins have given up 25 high-danger chances over the last two games against the Panthers.

What's the case against starting Swayman in Game 7?

Well, putting a goalie into a series cold is a slight concern. Aside from 3:11 of garbage time action at the end of Game 4, his last appearance was the regular season finale versus the Montreal Canadiens on April 13, and that was 15 days ago. Swayman also didn't fare well against the Panthers in the regular season with a .881 save percentage and a 4.03 GAA in two starts. That said, Ullmark played fantastic versus the Panthers in the regular season and has struggled in this series. 

Another argument against putting Swayman in net is that Ullmark got the team to this point and deserves the opportunity to carry them through to victory. He had an incredible season and is the clear favorite to win the Vezina Trophy. He led all goalies with a 40-6-1 record, a .938 save percentage and 1.89 GAA. Replacing him at this stage before a must-win game could derail his confidence.

Some people might also view going to Swayman as a panic move. It's really not, though, because Swayman performed so well during the regular season and played in Game 7 of the first round last season. It's not like the B's would be turning to an unproven backup. Swayman would be the No. 1 goalie on many teams.

You could argue that if the Bruins just managed the puck better the series would already be over and we wouldn't be having this goalie debate. Sure, but there's no reason to believe Boston's sloppiness with the puck will all of a sudden get better in Game 7. They've been far worse handling the puck at home than on the road in this series. 

There are valid reasons not to play Swayman. But at the same time, the Bruins must do what's best for the team because there is no tomorrow. This is not the time to worry about a player's confidence getting ruined or what a player accomplished during the regular season.

This is about saving a historic campaign and potentially this veteran core's last realistic chance at winning the Stanley Cup.

Swayman gives the Bruins the best chance to win Sunday. It should be his net with the season on the line in Game 7.

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