Postseason goalkeeper rotation is possible, as the Bruins have demonstrated.

Hockey teams have long held the belief that they can only have one goalie during the Stanley Cup Playoffs.

 

Teams have tended to select one goalie in the playoffs, even if they had two quality players.

Then the 2022–2023 Boston Bruins arrived, alternating between goalies Linus Ullmark and Jeremy Swayman as they set NHL records with 65 victories and 135 points. However, the Bruins selected Ullmark, who would go on to win the Vezina Trophy, when the playoffs started. In the first-round series versus the Florida Panthers, Ullmark started six games. However, the record-setting Bruins were stunningly defeated by the Panthers in seven games.

While Boston continued to rotate Ullmark and Swayman, it was one of the NHL’s top teams and did not break any records in 2023–24.

Coach Jim Montgomery’s main dilemma was whether to stick with the current goaltender rotation for the playoffs or switch to Ullmark or Swayman, who had not performed well in the previous campaign.

Before the team warmed up for Saturday night’s first-round series opener against the Toronto Maple Leafs, it was unclear who Montgomery would start. Swayman was selected and performed admirably in the 5-1 victory.

How about the second game?

Once more, there was the conventional hockey viewpoint that says you should never alter a winning lineup unless there is an injury, especially to the goaltender.

Not to be overlooked, though, was the Bruins’ 2023 postseason experience.

When reporters questioned Montgomery about who he would start for in Game 2, he never raised his hand and even made jokes about it.

Once more, Ullmark took the starting reps, therefore the starting lineup for Monday night’s Game 2 was unknown until the warm-ups.

The Maple Leafs tied the series 1-1 after Boston defeated 3-2.

However, Ullmark was not the cause of it. He made 31 saves, making him the Bruins’ most valuable player by far.

Apparently, a team can have two goalies who perform effectively during the playoffs without needing to switch due to injuries.

Wednesday at 7 p.m. ET at Toronto’s Scotiabank Arena is Game 3.