By: Mark Allred | Follow me on Twitter @BlackAndGold277
The Boston Bruins’ goaltending tandem of Linus Ullmark and Jeremy Swayman have been named the winners of the 2023 Jennings Trophy. The announcement marks a significant achievement for the Bruins’ goaltending unit and highlights the excellence of Ullmark and Swayman throughout the 2022-23 NHL season.
The Jennings Trophy is awarded annually to the goaltending tandem that has allowed the fewest goals in the regular season. The award is named after former NHL goaltender William M. Jennings and has been presented since the 1981-82 season.
Throughout the 82-game regular season, Ullmark and Swayman were instrumental in leading the Bruins to a successful season with 109 points in the standings. Ullmark appeared in 49 games and finished the 2022-23 campaign with a regular season record of 40-6-1, a 1.89 goals-against-average, and a .938 save percentage. Swayman appeared in 37 games finishing the season with a record of 24-6-4, a 2.27 GAA, and a .920 Save%. Both goalies combined to record 65 wins, which is now a National Hockey League record, and allowed only 174 goals, which was the fewest in the league.
Ullmark and Swayman’s performances as a tandem were exceptional and stood out from other goaltending duos in the league. They both had a strong presence in the net, as their save percentages were among the best in the league. Ullmark and Swayman also had a positive impact on the Bruins’ defensive game. They played an integral role in leading the team to a top ranking in goals against average (2.12).
The impact of Ullmark and Swayman’s performances on the Bruins cannot be overlooked. Their solid goaltending allowed the team to rise to prominence in the league standings, and the Jennings Trophy is a fitting reward for their efforts. With the Stanley Cup Playoffs starting on Monday night at TD Garden in Boston, Massachusetts, Ullmark’s performance this season in his second year with the Bruins organization will be crucial in leading the Bruins to a potential 2023 Stanley Cup victory.
This isn’t the first time in Boston Bruins history that a goaltending tandem who wore the numbers one and 35 took home the Jennings Trophy. In the 1989-90 season, goaltenders Andy Moog and Reggie Lemelin allowed 232 goals leading the NHL, and the Jennings acceptance was the first in franchise history. That season the Bruins went on to win the President’s Trophy as the best team in the NHL with a record of 45-25-9, accruing 101 points in 80 regular season games.
Other Boston Bruins tandems in the team’s history who’ve won the Jennings Trophy after the tandem of Lemelin and Moog are Tim Thomas and Manny Fernandez in the 2008-09 season and Tuukka Rask and Jaroslav Halak, who captured the lowest goals against in 2019-20. With Ullmark and Swayman winners this year, that’s the fourth time in the Boston Bruins history to receive these tremendous accolades.
In conclusion, winning the Jennings Trophy is a significant achievement for any goaltending tandem in the NHL. Ullmark and Swayman have proven to be a leading duo in the league, and their performances have been instrumental in the success of the Boston Bruins organization. Their performances throughout the 2022-23 season give hope to Bruins fans for future success, particularly in the postseason, as Boston is heavily favored to with the team’s seventh Stanley Cup this Spring.
Leave a Reply