Jeremy Swayman Back in Form as Bruins Lean on Their Goalie

The Bruins may sit outside of the playoff picture, but their starting goalie, Jeremy Swayman, has returned to form this season. 

A year after signing an eight-year extension, then putting up career-low numbers, Jeremy Swayman knew he had to play better this season. Last year is in the rearview mirror for the Anchorage, Alaska, native.

“I take accountability,” Swayman said at the conclusion of the 2024-25 season. “I wanted to play better, I know that I can play better, and that’s something I can’t wait to work on. This team is going to be a lot different next year, with what we learned from this year.”

Swayman posted a 22-29-7 record last season with a 3.11 goals against average (GAA) and a .892 save percentage (SV%). The Bruins finished last in the Atlantic Division and selected seventh at the draft. 

The Bruins made changes this offseason, most notably bringing in new head coach Marco Sturm. What has not changed is the workload that Jeremy Swayman has taken on. Swayman has played in 29 of the Bruins’ 42 games this season, including action in all five games of the Bruins’ previous homestand. 

The Bruins are going to need Jeremy Swayman to handle the workload to be successful; the regular season is the time to determine whether he can handle a long stretch of games.

“No,” Swayman said at the end of last season when asked if his workload was too much. “I was so happy with the way my body felt, and my mind felt. Again, just being hungry. Every game, you’re expecting to play, and getting the nod, and wanting to give my team a chance to win every single night.”

Swayman posted an 8-2-0 record in November; he started in 10 of the Bruins’ 14 games that month. The goaltenders had the same 10-4 split in December, but Swayman came in for an 11th appearance on Dec. 20, when Korpisalo was pulled. However, December was not as smooth sailing. Swayman posted a 4-4-2 record throughout the month, coupled with a 3.19 GAA and an .884 SV%. 

Swayman saw a lot of playing time in a short span. As we enter the new year, Swayman has played in nine of the last ten games. If you go further back, he played in 11 of the previous 13. 

“It’s good to get games, but it’s also one of those seasons where we don’t get a lot of practice,” Swayman said after the win in Edmonton. “You got to make sure that you’re dialed in, no matter how much rest you get or not. It’s why we’re pros, we have to put our bodies in good situations and perform every night.”

Even with a .500 record in December, Swayman began reasserting himself as the backbone of the team towards the end of the month. Since the holiday break, he is 2-0-1 with a 1.94 GAA and a .944 SV%. His play gave Boston a chance to win all three of those games. 

The Bruins snapped a six-game losing streak on New Year’s Eve. They did so with 34 Swayman saves on 36 Oilers shots; he stopped eight shots on the power play. He also turned aside Connor McDavid nine times and Leon Draisaitl eight times. Per NaturalStatTrick, Edmonton generated 16 high-danger chances on Wednesday. 

“He was outstanding,” Marco Sturm said after the game.

Then, the Bruins continued their road trip in Vancouver. Swayman got the start again, this time making 31 saves to help the Bruins pick up their second straight win. Swayman made 11 stops against Vancouver’s power play. According to NaturalStatTrick, the Canucks threatened with 12 high-danger chances on Saturday night, but the Bruins’ netminder only conceded two goals. 

“He’s finding his game right now,” Sturm said about Swayman after the Bruins’ win on Saturday. “We all feel it, that’s why I want to get him back. He just gives us the feeling and the big saves. Even against the Oilers the other night, there were a couple times they could have tied it up, but he was the guy.”

With two consecutive 30-save wins, Jeremy Swayman is doing precisely what Sturm alluded to: “finding his game right now.” 

Despite the hefty workload, Jeremy Swayman’s play this season has kept Boston in contention. The coaching staff has relied on him heavily in the last few weeks, and there is little margin for error with the remainder of the Bruins’ season. Maintaining game-changing goaltending will be something the black and gold can build on moving forward.