Ullmark Has ‘Fun’ While Setting Boston Bruins Record For Saves

When Boston Bruins netminder Linus Ullmark wins the Vezina Trophy this summer as the league’s best goaltender, this four-game road trip through Seattle and then Northwest Canada will probably be looked at as the exact part of the season when he clinched the honors.

It started with Linus Ullmark scoring an empty net goal at the end of Boston’s win over the Vancouver Canucks last weekend, and it ended with the Bruins netminder setting a new Boston Bruins franchise-record with 54 saves in a masterful performance during a 4-3 overtime victory over the Calgary Flames at the Scotiabank Saddledome.

It's been quite the few games for Linus Ullmark lately.

Feb. 25: Goalie goal 🚨
Feb. 28: Franchise record for saves in a game 😎#NHLStats: https://t.co/rPUP8PaKhr pic.twitter.com/9fbBmyq6Sd

— NHL Public Relations (@PR_NHL) March 1, 2023

“What a game by Ullmark,” said Charlie McAvoy to reporters after the game. “What a game by him. He kept us in the game all night. He gave us a chance to ultimately get a win at the end like he has all season long. I’m running out of stuff to say about him. It’s just amazing. Feel very fortunate to play in front of him.”

Ullmark’s second period save on a 2-on-1 where he stopped Milan Lucic after he hit the post was one worth noting, as was the way he made another save right after that with Lucic again trying to jam home a puck in front of the net.

Linus Ullmark makes a save on Milan Lucic in the 2nd period #CGYvsBOS #Flames #NHLBruins pic.twitter.com/1Wq1mBpn5q

— nopClips (@nopClips) March 1, 2023

Sure, Dmitry Orlov had a pair of first period goals and Charlie McAvoy came up big in overtime with the game-winner on a sweet transition play with Brad Marchand and Patrice Bergeron, but the road weary Boston Bruins looked like a team that had played four games in six days on the road mostly in Western Canada.

And they were rescued by Ullmark putting on his Superman and showing once again why he’s been a huge difference-maker between the pipes for the Black and Gold while making 19 saves apiece in the first and second periods before stopping all six shots he faced in overtime before Boston powered up for the game-winner.

“What should I say? It was a lot of fun. You never really wanna get up to almost 60 shots in a game but you know what? I’ll take it,” said Ullmark to NESN following the game. “Get two points and we’re going to go home with a four-game road trip win streak and love it.”

Ullmark leads the NHL with 31 wins, a 1.88 goals against average and a .938 save percentage and is going to finish the season with the same kind of dominant numbers that Tim Thomas did in 2010-11 while doing it in an extremely different way. And he showed on Tuesday night that he’s fully capable of stealing hockey games like Thomas famously did 12 years ago while leading the Black and Gold to a Stanley Cup championship.

And, oh by the way, it was Thomas’ 51 saves that Ullmark topped for the B’s franchise record with his Herculean performance against Calgary while backstopping a clearly tired Bruins bunch to another two points.

The big B’s burning question now is if Ullmark is poised to do the same this spring while amidst a season that’s felt very special for him and the rest of his Boston Bruins teammates.