Bruins Insider Reveals A Shocking Change That Has Taken Place With Their Goaltending Situation

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Joshua Deeds
November 23, 2024 (11:27)

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The Boston Bruins have seemed to stabilize after a chaotic beginning to the season, with a record of 9-9-3 before Jim Montgomery's exit.

The team has been throttled by inconsistent performances all around the ice, and last night the team had new legs.

Under Joe Sacco, it seemed the Bruins were defensively sound, and gave Joonas Korpisalo the support he needed.

Korpisalo's record with the Bruins this season is 8 games played, with a 4-2-2 record, 2.38 GAA, and a .911 save percentage.

Is that good enough to win the starting spot in Boston?

Not according to NHL Insider Jimmy Murphy.

Swayman's last start against the Columbus Blue Jackets turned had a devastating result, as he let in 5 goals that night.

Which, was a follow-up to a game that saw him yield seven to the Dallas Stars. It seems that the Bruins have tightened up under Joe Sacco, as Korpisalo would earn his second shutout for the season.

Korpisalo has had a .903 save percentage or better in each of his last three starts, so he has been trending in the right direction. This includes a 20-save shutout against the Philadelphia Flyers on Nov. 2. He will now look to stay solid against Utah and help Boston get a much-needed win.

But, is it good enough? According to Murphy, the Bruins will utilize the same system they used when Linus Ullmark was in Boston, a 1A-1B system.

Swayman's goals saved above average (minus-7.38) is on the wrong side of average, so much so that it's bottom five in the league, according to Natural Stat Trick. What that means is that a league-average goaltender would be expected to save about seven more goals than Swayman has on the chances he's faced.

This will allow to give the goalies enough time to rest, and allow for someone like Swayman to eventually find his game again under Sacco.

You'd think with how Swayman is playing that Korpisalo would've earned the starting role? But considering how much they're paying Swayman per year, they will want to utilize him as much as possible.

Korpisalo has both a better save percentage and goals-against average this season. Here are both of their stat lines:

Korpisalo -- 2.38 GAA -- .911 save% -- 4-2-1 record -- 8 games played
Swayman -- 3.47 GAA -- .884 save% -- 5-7-2 record -- 14 games played

Tough breaks for a former William Jennings Trophy winner.