The Boston Bruins stumbled out of the gate in Manitoba, suffering a crushing 8-1 defeat to the Winnipeg Jets at the start of a challenging five-game road trip against top NHL opponents. After the loss, captain Brad Marchand issued a strong message to the team, including goalie Jeremy Swayman, who conceded eight goals.
Boston had flipped the script on their NHL season after firing Jim Montgomery and promoting Joe Sacco to interim coach. However, the Bruins faced their litmus test against the Jets and were humiliated by the league’s most electrifying team.
While goalies are often placed on a pedestal and shielded from criticism- with skaters biting the bullet for their shortcomings- Marchand didn’t afford Swayman that leniency after the horrific defeat to Winnipeg.
“Everyone had a bad night. [Jeremy Swayman] was part of it,” Brad Marchand stated, via Boston.com. “He’s not singled out. I don’t think anyone can look themselves in the mirror and say that they had a good game. So, he’s part of the group. He’s part of the bad loss.”
Brad Marchand #63 of the Boston Bruins looks on during the first period of the game against the Calgary Flames at TD Garden on February 25, 2020 in Boston, Massachusetts.
Swayman allowed eight goals out of 35 shots faced. Surprisingly, Sacco didn’t pull him despite the nightmare outing, keeping him in net throughout the entire game.
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Bruins star Brad Marchand issues blunt statement to coach Joe Sacco, teammates after crushing loss
Swayman makes blunt admission
Boston may be regretting moving on from goalie Linus Ullmark, who was traded to the Ottawa Senators. Though Joonas Korpisalo has had a fairly good season so far, Swayman has struggled consistently. After his worst game so far, Swayman delivered an honest statement.
“Some of the goals that I let in, I know I can stop them,” Swayman said. “And that’s something that I hold myself as a standard, and when you let those in, it’s not a great feeling. I want to make sure that that doesn’t happen again and staying sharp and playing my game. I know I can stop those goals.”
Swayman ranks 41st in save percentage (.885 Sv%) among the 50 goalies with at least ten games played. He also allows an average of 3.27 goals per game. With 67 goals against, he has conceded the most in the NHL, equal to the total number of goals allowed by the Minnesota Wild this season.
