Jeremy Swayman and Linus Ullmark will face off as opponents

On By Pranco

The Bruins may not have achieved their goal of a Stanley Cup when they had the best goaltending tandem in the NHL, but they did win a lot of hockey games in those two years.

And each of those victories was punctuated by a demonstrative hug between Linus Ullmark and Jeremy Swayman, with the starter drenched in sweat and the backup dry and relaxed in a ball cap.

But Saturday night the goaltenders will meet as opponents for the first time when Ullmark returns to the Garden for the first time since being traded to the Ottawa Senators last summer.

When asked if he’s noticed that Ullmark plays for another team that’s re-emerging as an Atlantic Division rival, Swayman laughed.

“It still didn’t work out,” Swayman said after Friday’s practice at Warrior Ice Arena. “I still feel like I have his presence here and the traditions that we have still live on. That goes for every man who has experienced this locker room and the relationships I’ve had with forwards, D-men and staff. That’s a testament to the guys who have been through this locker room and worn the jersey. We are brothers for life.”

The relationship between Ullmark and Swayman was as symbiotic as the B’s have had with their goalies. In Ullmark’s first Bruins season in 2021-22, Swayman was a rookie and they essentially split time, although there was an awkward interlude as Tuukka Rask attempted a comeback from a four-game back injury.

The following season it became a 1A-1B situation, with Ullmark playing 49 games while posting a 40-6-1 record with a 1.89 GAA and .938 save percentage, earning the Vezina Trophy that season.

But just as Ullmark reached the personal pinnacle for a goaltender, it began to become clear that Swayman’s talents were blossoming. Last year it was a straight goalie rotation during the regular season, but after Ullmark lost Game 2 to Toronto in the first round of the playoffs, Swayman got the ball for the remainder of the series.

Many goalkeepers in Ullmark’s position could have developed resentment towards the younger goalkeeper in that situation, but the opposite was true. He mentored Swayman and they became good friends. Swayman, a young single man, became a regular at the Ullmark family home.

It was an important relationship in Swayman’s development as a goalie, which can sometimes be a lonely position.

“It shows what kind of character he has and his awareness to pick up the guys around him and see what he could help with, with the experiences he’s been through and shed some light on me so that I wouldn’t have the same make mistakes or have slightly better awareness in certain situations,” says Swayman. “I will be forever grateful for that and he knows that. I will still call him if I have any questions. It’s really great to see the success he’s had and will continue to have because of what he has in mind.”

The Senators were scheduled to hold a team dinner in Boston on Friday, but Swayman said he would try to “hang out a little bit” with Ullmark at some point.

Swayman said when he contacts Ullmark during the season, which isn’t always easy, the usual conversations don’t have much to do with hockey.

“We are distancing ourselves from the hockey part because we both have work to do and schedules will clash,” Swayman said. “I have a game one night, he has a game the next night, so it’s always good to just check in with him as a human being and with the outside noise of like finding another place to live and the location of three children and of course (Ullmark’s wife) Moa. There are many factors going on for both parties. We lead busy lives separately, but we also know that we are there for each other when we need a shoulder to lean on.”

Both netminders will try to get their games on track. Ullmark’s is 2-4 with an .892 save percentage and 3.02 GAA, while Swayman is 4-5-1 with an .894 save percentage and 3.14 GAA.

How and whether the former tandem mates acknowledge each other on the ice remains to be seen. A hug on the ice at the end of the game would be too awkward for words. After all, one of them will be an L.

A laughing Swayman said: “It’s always organic, so I guess you’ll just have to wait and see. Stay on your toes.”

Castelic bloom

Of course, Ullmark wasn’t the only player involved in the trade. In addition to first-round pick Dean Letourneau, the B’s also got back Swayman’s new backup, Joonas Korpisalo, and center Mark Kastelic. Both have played well for the B’s in the young season.

Kastelic, with 3-4-7 overall in 14 games, will likely set new personal highs for offensive production – his previous record was 7-4-11 in Ottawa two seasons ago – while playing exactly the hard-nosed style the B’s were looking for.

“I think his offensive potential is much more surprising,” coach Jim Montgomery said. “His competition, his willingness to be tough in all three zones, is something we had seen when we played against him when he was in Ottawa. And when I talk to a lot of coaches who coached him, there isn’t a coach who didn’t love him. So we knew he would fit in well as a Bruin.”

Kastelic has fond memories of the Senators’ organization.

“I think I’ve grown a lot,” Kastelic said. “It taught me a lot about life as an NHLer. I am very grateful for everything they have done for me as a player, from the staff and management on down. I owe them a lot for giving me my chance in the NHL. I had a great few years in Ottawa and Belleville. I definitely matured and felt like that’s where I learned how to be a professional. I have nothing but kind things to say about the organization. You can clearly see that they are still going in the right direction, so I wish them nothing but the best. I have many positive memories of it.”

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