Jeremy Swayman’s Stellar Form Gives Bruins Edge Heading Into Detroit Rematch
Saturday night at TD Garden, the Boston Bruins edged out the Detroit Red Wings in a 3-2 shootout thriller-and if you were looking for the difference-maker, you didn’t have to look far. Morgan Geekie’s two-goal performance certainly turned heads, but it was Jeremy Swayman’s play between the pipes that stole the show and, frankly, the game.
Swayman stopped 24 of 26 shots in regulation and overtime, but it was his work on the penalty kill-and especially in the shootout-that underscored just how locked in he is right now. Boston was shorthanded five times, and Swayman stood tall through every one of them, making key saves that kept the game within reach.
Then came the shootout, where he shut the door completely, denying all three Detroit attempts. That gave Casey Mittelstadt the green light to seal the win with his lone shootout tally.
This isn’t just a hot streak. It’s the kind of bounce-back season the Bruins were hoping for after Swayman’s uneven 2024-25 campaign.
He’s not just answering the bell-he’s ringing it. And with the Bruins battling through injuries and fighting to stay in the Eastern Conference playoff picture, his resurgence couldn’t come at a better time.
So when head coach Marco Sturm was asked who would get the nod in goal for Tuesday night’s rematch in Detroit, the answer was obvious.
“He’s too good right now,” Sturm said. “I don’t want him to rest… now, we had two days in between, I think it gives him enough rest to have a few games in him.
He’s doing excellent. It’s gonna be a tough game again today, and I think he’s the right guy.”
No argument there. With two days off since Saturday’s win, there’s no reason not to ride the hot hand. Swayman’s current form doesn’t just give Boston a chance to win-it gives them identity and stability at a time when injuries have left other parts of the roster in flux.
It also sets up a logical rotation: if Swayman gets the crease again Tuesday, it opens the door for Joonas Korpisalo to handle Thursday’s home game against the St. Louis Blues. That kind of balance could be key as the Bruins navigate the grind of December.
But in the short term, all eyes are on Detroit. The Red Wings will be looking to even the score after coming up short in Boston, and they’ll be hungry on home ice. For the Bruins, it’s a chance to make a statement-and with Swayman playing the way he is, they’ve got the right guy in net to do it.