Since the 4 Nations Face-off last month, Boston Bruins interim coach Joe Sacco has been relying heavily on top goalie Jeremy Swayman. However, the results haven’t been favorable, and it’s not entirely Swayman’s fault, as his teammates haven’t played well in front of him during the last five days.
After losses to the Ottawa Senators and Tampa Bay Lightning with Swayman in goal, Sacco has decided to make a change for Monday night’s home game against the Buffalo Sabres. This game is crucial for the Bruins if they want to keep their postseason hopes alive. It feels like the team’s chances of making the playoffs are slipping away with each passing day, and this is their last home game before they head out west for the rest of the month, needing to leapfrog several teams to secure a playoff spot in the Eastern Conference.
In a shift, Sacco announced that Joonas Korpisalo will start against the Sabres. The last time these teams met, the Sabres scored seven goals on Swayman in a dominant 7-2 victory.
Korpisalo, who stepped in for Swayman last Thursday in Ottawa and allowed just one goal (plus an empty-net goal) in a 6-3 loss, has had some strong performances this season. At times, the Bruins have looked more cohesive in front of Korpisalo than Swayman.
In his first season with the Bruins after being acquired from Ottawa in the Linus Ullmark trade last June, Korpisalo has a record of 10-7-2 with a 2.78 goals-against average and a .893 save percentage in 22 games. Given Swayman’s need for rest ahead of the upcoming road trip, it’s not surprising that Sacco is giving Korpisalo the start. The move is necessary, and now the team will hope to break their losing streak with this change.
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