The Secret to the Bruins Goaltending Success Has Been Revealed

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Dorin Canaday
April 13, 2023 (2:09 PM)

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At this point, there shouldn't be anymore debate to which team has the best goalie tandem in the NHL, but what exactly makes the Bruins duo so great?

Fluto Shinzawa of The Athletic took a deep dive into everything that goes into how incredible Jeremy Swayman and Linus Ullmark have been this season.

Sharing just how good Boston's netminders have been:

�'The Bruins have allowed a league-low 170 goals in 2022-23. Unless things really go sideways against the Canadiens � to the tune of allowing 36-plus goals � Ullmark and Swayman will share the Jennings Trophy, awarded annually to the goalies for the NHL's stingiest team.''

The Legend of Goalie Bob

When it comes down to it, the biggest factor to the duo's success should be credited to goalie coach Bob Essensa. �'Goalie Bob'' as he's know as, has been with the Bruins since 2003, and as Shinzawa eluded to, has coached some terrific goaltenders.

''That Essensa has expressed peak performance out of puck-stopping variants like Thomas, Rask, Ullmark and Swayman � other pupils include Manny Fernandez, Felix Potvin and Chad Johnson � captures the foundation of his work. When it comes to technique, there is little that a whirling dervish like Thomas, a specimen like Rask, a 6-foot-5 hulk like Ullmark and a technical hotshot like Swayman have in common. But Essensa's mandate is to stitch together his philosophy with the toolboxes goalies bring upon arrival.�'

One of his latest big achievements is the turnaround of Ullmark, who is more than likely to take home the Vezina Trophy in a few months time. Despite the two �'butting heads'' when they first met as noted in the article, Ullmark shared a wholesome quote about Essensa:

''I never had a grandpa. But he certainly has that vibe to it,'' said Ullmark. �'Just a lovable character that does his thing and has done it well for a lot of years in this community and for this team and organization.''

Essensa, now 58, spent 12 years in the NHL as a goaltender himself, primarily with the Winnipeg/Phoenix franchise.

Goalie Bob appeared in 446 games with the Jets/Coyotes, Oilers, Red Wings, Canucks and Sabres. The Ontario native finished his career with a 173-176-47 record, a .895 SV%, a 3.15 GAA and 18 shutouts. (Solid numbers for goalies in the 80s and 90s era of hockey)

He also finished third in Vezina voting in the 1991-92 season with Winnipeg, going 21-17-6 with a .898 SV% and a 3.15 GAA.

Sparking the debate, should the Hockey Hall of Fame recognize goalie coaches in its �'Builders'' category?

Find the link to the full article below: