Bruins' Ullmark sustains apparent arm injury vs. Hurricanes

The Boston Bruins lost arguably their most valuable player Friday, as goaltender Linus Ullmark left their game against the Carolina Hurricanes in the third period due to injury.

Bruins defenseman Connor Clifton fell on Ullmark, who departed the contest favoring his right arm. Ullmark was replaced by Jeremy Swayman, and the Bruins later ruled the Swedish netminder out for the rest of the game with what they referred to as an upper-body injury.

"We're pretty confident he's OK," Boston head coach Jim Montgomery said postgame, according to WEEI's Bridgette Proulx.

Montgomery added Ullmark has a full range of motion and is likely day-to-day along with forward Craig Smith, who also left the game. However, the bench boss said the club's medical staff will do more testing on both players, per NESN's Lauren Willand.

Ullmark has been sensational for the Bruins and is the clear Vezina Trophy front-runner this season. He's 13-1-0 in 14 starts and 15 appearances. The 29-year-old came into Friday's action leading the NHL in save percentage (.935) among goalies who've played more than three games in 2022-23, and his win total tops the league as well.

The 2012 sixth-round pick is in his second campaign with Boston. The Bruins signed him when he was a free agent in July 2021. Ullmark inked a four-year contract with Boston carrying an average annual value of $5 million.

He played his first six seasons with the Buffalo Sabres.