'I'm my own worst critic'
BOSTON — The Bruins are searching for their first win since March 11.
After defeating the Florida Panthers in an epic come-from-behind win at TD Garden, Boston has lost nine straight games, and goaltender Jeremy Swayman is on his own six-game losing skid.
In his last five starts, Swayman has given up 22 goals, with an inflated 4.97 GAA and a subpar .840 save percentage over that stretch.
“I tell you what, it’s been challenging,” Swayman said Tuesday night after the Bruins’ 4-3 loss to the Washington Capitals at TD Garden. “It’s been really challenging, and I’m grateful for that challenge.
“I’ve had good nights, I’ve had bad nights, but that’s something that exactly that I have to grow with. I have to keep my head up. I owe it to myself. I owe it to this team, and I need to be dialed in every single chance I get.”
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Swayman stopped 28 of 32 shots in the Bruins’ latest loss, and Boston actually played its best game in weeks. However, it still wasn’t enough.
Tom Wilson’s game-winning goal was especially crushing for the Bruins because it was a broken play that deflected off Boston defenseman Mason Lohrei and past Swayman.
“It’s the worst thing ever, not getting results,” Swayman said. “Not going to lie to you, I’m my own worst critic and that’s something that I’ve battled and will continue to, but that’s something that I can grow from and we all can grow from. I know that we’re gonna start getting results, and it’s ingrained in us forever.”
The nine-game skid is the Bruins’ longest losing streak since the 2009-10 season, when the Black and Gold dropped 10 straight games. The loss moved Boston into last place in the Eastern Conference, the first time the Bruins have been in last place in April since the 1996-97 season.
The Bruins head north of the border to face the Montreal Canadiens on Thursday night. The Canadiens currently hold the second wild-card spot in the Eastern Conference. It would be Montreal’s first playoff berth since the COVID-19 bubble season when the Tampa Bay Lightning defeated the Canadiens in five games to capture the Stanley Cup after a shortened season and odd playoff format in the 2020-21 shortened season.
