The Boston Bruins have begun the 2022-23 NHL season in high-flying fashion, earning a 4-1-0 record and scoring 22 goals in those first five games.
The offensive depth has been fantastic. David Krejci looks like he never left. David Pastrnak is on his way to a potential 90/100-point season and Patrice Bergeron is on track for his 10th consecutive season with 20-plus goals.
But the most impressive Bruins player so far has been Linus Ullmark.
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The Swedish goalie has posted a 3-0-0 record, a .938 save percentage and a 2.06 GAA in four games (three starts). He ranks No. 5 among all goaltenders (minimum 175 minutes played) in save percentage and No. 4 in goals saved above average (4.04). Ullmark also has tallied an impressive .850 save percentage on high-danger chances.
His best performance came Thursday night when he made 30 saves on 31 shots for a .968 save percentage in a 2-1 shootout win over the Anaheim Ducks at TD Garden.
"Linus was outstanding," Bruins head coach Jim Montgomery told NESN after the game. "He's had a great start to the year. He's giving us an opportunity to win games when quite frankly tonight, we were a little rusty."
Ullmark's best save happened in the final minute of overtime when he denied Ducks forward Dylan Strome on a breakaway.
The game-winning save in the shootout was a phenomenal effort as well.
Ullmark admitted the beginning of this season has been easier for him compared to his debut 2021-22 campaign. It makes sense, too. Going from the Buffalo Sabres to a team like the Bruins -- a totally different situation in terms of talent, play style, structure and expectations -- definitely is an adjustment.
"I just feel a little bit more comfortable off the ice with the boys," Ullmark said after the win. "There's not a whole lot of new things, not a lot of new personnel. I don't have to get to know everybody, I don't have to get to know the system, I don't have to get to know the city -- everything. Just life, basically. I'm in a better spot."
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Ullmark's hot start to the 2022-23 season isn't really surprising.
He was clearly the Bruins' best goalie over the final two months of the 2021-22 regular season. Over that span, he posted a .933 save percentage and a 1.81 GAA, while rookie Jeremy Swayman tallied a .891 save percentage and a 3.07 GAA. Ullmark was the Game 1 starter in the playoffs as a result, and after two underwhelming performances versus the Carolina Hurricanes in the first round, the veteran goalie didn't see the ice again the rest of the series.
So, aside from two playoff games where the Bruins didn't do him any favors around the net, Ullmark has played at a Vezina Trophy-caliber level over his last two-plus months worth of games dating back to last March.
The Bruins' scoring, particularly at 5-on-5, has been much-improved from last season. They scored five or more goals in each of their first four games. However, the offense was fairly quiet against the Ducks with just one goal through 65 minutes of action. The Bruins needed an outstanding performance in net from Ullmark and he delivered the two points.
Ullmark's excellent start to the season isn't going to result in Swayman taking a prolonged seat on the bench. The Bruins need two strong goalies to get through the long, physically demanding regular season with as much energy as possible for a playoff run. That means Swayman will get ample opportunity to right the ship and bounce back from a sluggish beginning to 2022-23. That could come as early as Saturday when the Bruins host a very good Minnesota Wild team at the Garden.
But there's no question Ullmark has a firm grip on the No. 1 goalie job through five games. The situation can change, but it's very encouraging for the Bruins that Ullmark has carried his strong play from the end of last season into the new campaign.
Ullmark looks as motivated as ever to prove he's the guy in net.