BOSTON — Jeremy Swayman was the first player introduced before the Bruins’ home opener Thursday night, and he took the ice to a huge ovation.
No hard feelings from the Boston fans over the contract holdout that kept him out of training camp until he signed a $66 million contract Sunday, two days before the season started.
“It’s such an incredible thing to be back playing and in this building again. It’s a boatload of gratitude,” Swayman said after stopping 21 shots to lead the Bruins to a 6-4 victory over the Montreal Canadiens.
“It was, it was pretty emotional, that warm welcome,” he said. “And it just goes to show what kind of fan base we have here, knowing it’s more than just a player, it’s a human being that they care about. And I got pretty emotional finally stepping on that ice and hearing that roar again.”
Swayman got tagged for a couple of goals midway through the first period, then gave up another pair in the third, when Montreal cut a three-goal deficit to 5-4 on Brendan Gallagher‘s second goal of the game with 4:17 left. Mark Kastelic scored 17 seconds later to preserve the victory.
Swayman also gave Montreal forward Nick Suzuki a little shove to push him out of the crease at the end of the second period, but the linesman came quickly skated in to separate them.
“It’s kind of my inertia going that way. So I needed a little balance help there,” the goalie said with a laugh. “I’ve got different tactics of getting myself in the game — obviously being vocal with my guys and chatting with the refs and doing my thing, bringing my swagger, my calmness to the building and I know that’s when I play my best.”
Swayman was the backup to Linus Ullmark in Boston’s record-setting 2022-23 season; the two alternated last year, when Swayman made 43 starts in the regular season with a 2.53 goals-against average before winning the No. 1 job in the playoffs.
A restricted free agent, Swayman had missed all of training camp before agreeing to an eight-year deal for $8.25 million per year that puts him in the top five goalies in the NHL for average annual value.
He had just one practice with the team before the opener, and backup Joonas Korpisalo played and gave up six goals in Tuesday’s season-opening 6-4 loss to the defending Stanley Cup champion Florida. As the Panthers, who have ousted Boston from the playoffs in each of the last two seasons, opened a 5-1 lead, their fans chanted “We want Swayman!”
“They’re going to do their tactics to be a part of the game, and they did a good job of that,” Swayman said. “I want to play every game. I want to be in the net every chance I can get. So I’m excited to get that opportunity.”
Bruins coach Jim Montgomery said he liked what he saw from Swayman, adding that some of the goals were on defensive lapses.
“Jeremy Swayman was good,” he said. “He made the saves that he could.”