Linus Ullmark picked up the 100th win of his National Hockey League career in the Bruins’ 4-1 win over the New York Islanders on Wednesday.
“I got to share it with probably the most special group in the league,” Ullmark told reporters. “So, I couldn’t be more happy.”
It’s another career box checked for Ullmark, who will make his first appearance in the NHL All-Star game in February after starting and winning in the Winter Classic earlier this month. He leads all goaltenders in the league with a 1.71 goals-against average, a .939 save percentage and 24 wins, sitting two off the league lead with two shutouts as well.
Diving a little deeper, Ullmark is also tops with 17.16 goals saved above average, while his .886 high-danger save percentage is among the best, too.
His 24 wins in 29 games are two shy of his career-best, 26, which he set last season in 41 games, but Ullmark knows how difficult it can be to take things game-by-game during such a successful run.
“It has been overwhelming. I’m not going to lie,” he said. “It has been a different kind of a season, definitely, and it’s taken a lot of me, mentally, to keep going and not be kind of satisfied. Because it’s hard if you have the luxury now at half of the season to be at this point. Usually, you know, you’re at this point at the end of the season.
“I have a lot of gratitude towards all the boys in here that go to work every single night. So, kudos to them.”
The 29-year-old has been enjoying the fruits of playing for the Bruins after beginning his career in Buffalo, where he dealt with inconsistency, not only with his own play and health, but also with the team in front of him. In Boston, Ullmark has been able to keep himself and his teammates accountable, partly with the help of Brad Marchand.
“I think Marchy [keeps me from being satisfied],” Ullmark quipped. “No, seriously, we have a lot of guys on this team that have been around the league for a long time, and they know that you can’t get satisfied because there are such small details that can make something crumble.
“He’s one of those guys, and he’s always honest with me. If he feels I’m taking a day off, he’s right there up my ass, and he tells me to get going.”
The Swedish puck-stopper made 26 saves on Wednesday, keeping Boston in it until they found their game in the second period. It was another instance this season where Ullmark has been the Bruins’ most-valuable player, giving them a chance to win, even if it might not be their best night.
Ullmark comes up with a big glove save on Beauvillier to keep the game scoreless#NHLBruins pic.twitter.com/tQxrZNIT6U
— Hockey Daily 365 l NHL Highlights (@HockeyDaily365) January 19, 2023
“He’s come up with big saves in big moments all year long,” head coach Jim Montgomery said on the NESN broadcast following the game. “That’s why he’s 24-2-1. He’s had a terrific season. He’s the backbone of our team back there. … The Islanders had a great game. They were playing really well. They were on top of us and they were checking. I thought in the first, we didn’t match their intensity, but then I thought we found it.”
Ullmark was sharp from the start, denying Jean-Gabriel Pageau on a turnaround one-timer early on off a David Pastrnak turnover. He came up big with the glove later in the first period, making a flashy save on Anthony Beauvillier, who had all day to shoot in the slot. In the second, keeping it a one-goal deficit, Ullmark denied another strong opportunity as he made a glove save on Zach Parise, the only Islander who managed to solve him when his first-period one-timer deflected off a Bruin in front.
Grzelcyk does enough to disrupt Pageau's breakaway off the Pastrnak turnover. Ullmark follows it up with a nice save on Parise. pic.twitter.com/zGJNHRKN8T
— Patrick Donnelly (@PatDonn12) January 19, 2023
“He’s been phenomenal all year,” Marchand said on the broadcast.” Every night he gives us an opportunity to win, and tonight is another example of that. He makes those saves that allow us to kind of calm down, breathe and regroup. He’s the best one in the league right now, so we’re lucky to have him.”
Marchand said it: Ullmark has been the NHL’s best goaltender this season. Just look at the numbers and the team success in front of him. He has played his way into firmly being among the frontrunners for the Vezina Trophy, let alone being in the conversation.
Boston hasn’t seen a year like Ullmark’s in over a decade. If the season were to finish today, his .939 marker would be the fourth-highest single-season save percentage in NHL history, just ahead of Tim Thomas’ .938 in 2010-11. Everyone knows what happened that season.
Obviously, there’s still plenty of hockey left to be played this season, but after a month of milestones for Ullmark, there certainly could be more coming his way later this year.