Bruins' Swayman gets Game 7 start over Vezina Trophy favorite Ullmark

The Boston Bruins surprisingly turned to Jeremy Swayman instead of Linus Ullmark in goal for Game 7 of their first-round series against the Florida Panthers on Sunday night.

The decision didn't pan out, as the Panthers pulled off a shocking 4-3 overtime victory to advance to Round 2. Swayman made 27 saves in defeat.

Ullmark is the clear Vezina Trophy front-runner who's started all six of the Bruins' previous playoff games this spring. The Swede had played all but 191 seconds in the series before Sunday. However, he's struggled over his last two outings, allowing 10 goals on 57 shots for a .825 save percentage in a pair of losses.

The 29-year-old also gave up five goals in the Bruins' Game 2 defeat, but Boston head coach Jim Montgomery stuck with him for the next one, and he came through with a victory in which he allowed only two goals on 31 shots. Ullmark had an .896 save percentage in the series entering Sunday.

Swayman started five postseason games in 2021-22, going 3-2 with a .911 clip. The 24-year-old was solid during the 2022-23 regular season, authoring a .920 save percentage along with a 24-6-4 record in 37 games, 33 of which were starts.

Ullmark was brilliant this season. He went 40-6-1, tying for the league lead in wins and topping all NHL netminders with more than two games played in save percentage at .938. He made 49 appearances, starting all but one of them. He led the league in goals saved above average at five-on-five and ranked fourth in goals saved above expected in the same situations, according to Evolving-Hockey.

The Bruins won the Presidents' Trophy in 2022-23 and set numerous records amid their regular-season prowess.