BOSTON — Jeremy Swayman beamed at the idea of what was coming next.
As he sat at the podium following the Bruins’ 5-2 win over Carolina in Game 6 Thursday at TD Garden, he was already eager for Game 7.
Legends, especially goaltending legends, are made and careers are defined by performances in Game 7. This will be the 23-year-old Alaskan’s first one.
“It’s a dream come true. I can’t wait,” said Swayman, who used to picture himself both scoring the big goal and making the big save in those Game 7 dreams.
Swayman struggled at the end of the regular season, faltering enough that Linus Ullmark became the clear choice to start Games 1 and 2. Ullmark wasn’t the cause of either Boston loss in those first two games in Raleigh as the Bruins struggled up and down their lineup, but Ullmark didn’t do enough to mask those struggles either.
Whether Swayman provided the spark in Games 3 and 4 or simply playing at home gave Boston a lift, the Bruins have been 3-1 with him in net. He’s played well and the team has played well in front of him.
“He’s been good for us. We challenged him a little bit early on. Timely saves early in the game are important,” Bruce Cassidy said. “Jeremy typically responds when we address certain things with him.”
Swayman stopped 23 shots in Game 6 and had a shutout through two periods. He was especially solid in the second period as the backbone of the Bruins’ penalty kill unit that erased four Hurricane power plays including a 5-on-3 for almost a minute.
While he was excited at the idea of a Game 7 on Thursday, he said by Saturday’s 4:30 p.m. start, his approach won’t be different than any other game.
“It’s no bigger or smaller than any game I’ve played before,” he said. “I want to make sure I come in with that mentality.”
Cassidy said Swayman’s mentality was one of his best attributes for his first Game 7.
“Young kid. Doesn’t seem to get fazed by the time of year,” Cassidy said. “We’ll see how it goes going forward. It’s the biggest one of the year obviously.”
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