Maybe all Jeremy Swayman needed was some criticism thrown his way to go on an impressive run.
The Bruins goalie was called out by head coach Bruce Cassidy after Swayman turned in a less-than-stellar performance against the Pittsburgh Penguins last month. It was the first time Cassidy really put the blame on Swayman, and the rookie goalie made sure to not make the same mistake twice.
The 23-year-old, who on Tuesday was named NHL Rookie of the Month for February, earned his third shutout of the season with a 34-save performance against the Los Angeles Kings on Monday night at Crypto.com Arena.
Swayman never has been one to let a bad start get to him. He has remained poised, confident and collected and doesn't seem to dwell on letting up a goal here and there.
But it appears Cassidy's comments from Feb. 8 sparked a fire under Swayman, who has gone 5-0-1 in six starts since then while posting a .971 save percentage.
Swayman has made the case to be Boston's No. 1 goalie with Linus Ullmark as his backup, and Cassidy even admitted as much in February.
Ullmark will get the start in net Tuesday night when the B's take on the Anaheim Ducks as they continue their road trip, but it wouldn't be surprising to see Swayman return between the pipes Thursday against the Vegas Golden Knights.
