With Ullmark/Swayman tandem reunited, Bruins well-equipped to weather Tuukka Rask’s lingering setback (for now)

It’s one thing for Jeremy Swayman to get the memo about Tuukka Rask’s looming return to the ice and be on board with said roster reshuffle back in October before the 2021-22 season even commenced.  

It’s another beast entirely to go through a solid first few months of the year and still find yourself on the outside looking in at an NHL roster once Rask was officially cleared.

And yet, as tough as the optics might have been for a promising rookie like Swayman to be the odd man out of the rotation in January — the 23-year-old netminder took his assignment in stride, opting to not view his time down in the AHL ranks as a setback. 

"I think it was more of an opportunity to get better mentally, physically, working on my game,” Swayman said Monday afternoon. “So I don't want to make it a negative thing at all. 

“I think there's a lot of positives that came out of it. … I think going down there and getting the playing time and seeing plays develop more — I was making saves that I might not have made a week or two before I got sent down. Just because I've learned and got the games under my belt. So I think the more games the better, the more experience the better and it's all a positive.”

If reps are the most coveted commodity for Swayman these days, he doesn’t need to fret. Because the Bruins are likely going to need him over the next few weeks — at a minimum. 

Less than a month after the duo of Swayman and Linus Ullmark were split up following Rask’s return to the lineup, the Bruins are going to have to rely on the tandem to carry them through an uncertain stretch — with Rask’s health woes carrying over into the second half of the 2021-22 campaign. 

While the B’s hoped some extended time off due to the All-Star break would serve as the proper antidote for Rask’s lingering lower-body issue — such fortune hasn’t fallen their way. 

"Obviously not on the ice today,” Bruce Cassidy said of Rask’s status after the franchise goalie was not present for Monday’s practice. “He won't be practicing this week. So we'll update it at the end of the week, early next week. So that's where he's at right now and see how it goes from there."

Fair to say, an additional week of inactivity for Rask (whose last game was back on Jan. 24) is a serious setback for both player and team — with the Bruins running out of runway to both get their veteran up to speed while putting their roster in the best position for a playoff push. 

So, with Rask’s future murkier than ever, the onus is going to fall on Ullmark/Swayman to keep Boston afloat in the short-term, if not longer. 

All things considered, the Bruins are in a better spot than most teams when it comes to overcoming such a setback at hockey’s most crucial position. 

Even though Swayman is slated to get the nod on Tuesday night against the Penguins, it’s expected that Ullmark will earn the lion’s share of reps in net for however long this duo remains entrenched on the depth chart. 

For Cassidy and the Bruins, it’s likely an easy call, considering Ullmark has seriously elevated his game over the past few months. After some lackluster returns in the early going, Ullmark has served as a steadying presence for Boston, posting a record of 11-2-1 over his last 15 games with a .914 save percentage. 

"I think he's more under control,” Cassidy said of Ullmark’s game. “There was the third goal in Dallas, I guess was a little scruffy. ... But I think he's been recovering better, more post to post than outside, those dead areas, as (goalie coach) Bob (Essensa) calls them.

“Rebound control, I think has been better, putting pucks in better places. The stuff around the front of the net, there's been less of that, where it's come off the end boards and guys are kind of looking at each other — who's got it? Who doesn't? So  cleaning up some of that stuff, I think all those things have improved since maybe October and November."

As for Swayman? Even if his numbers during his recent sojourn down to Providence may not jump off the page (3-2-0, .911 save percentage over five games), the Alaska native did note that the focus of his AHL stint revolved around correcting some of the flaws that hampered him up with Boston. 

"We knew what I wanted to work on — puck play, rebound control, seeing through traffic, everything that I'm going to work on for the rest of my career,” Swayman said. “And I think being able to go down there, be welcomed with open arms, seeing the guys that I've known since last year and the coaching staff there, everyone wants you to get better and be back up here. So it was a great environment to be around.”

An established NHLer in Ullmark and a promising youngster buoyed by a call-up in Swayman sure sounds like a pretty solid contingency plan for the Bruins.

Still, the ceiling of this Bruins team may not be reached if Rask is not back at full strength and playing to his potential. And based on Cassidy’s comments, it’s far from a foregone conclusion that the Bruins eventually get said results between the pipes from their usual No. 1 goalie. 

"That'll be his call, obviously,” Cassidy said when asked if Rask will look to carry on with his attempted comeback. “He's the one kind of fighting through some — I don't know if it's medical issues, I guess. Or some body issues for his age with the comeback, so we'll see how it turns out.”

Uncertainty at such a crucial spot in the lineup is far from a positive development for this Bruins team. 

But with that uncertainty comes opportunity — and it sure seems like both Ullmark and Swayman are looking to make the decision that much tougher on Boston’s top brass when the time comes to identify the odd man out in the Bruins' crowded and complicated goalie corps.