Anthony Martineau reported that Jeremy Swayman glared at Marco Sturm all the way to the Bruins bench after getting pulled last night.
Swayman was yanked in a 2-5 loss to the Canadiens. He stopped 13 of 17 shots and allowed 4 goals before the Bruins made the switch, ending his night at 28:14 of ice time.
Martineau described the goaltender as visibly unhappy with the decision. According to his report, the stare lasted the entire walk back to the bench.
Nobody likes the hook. Goalies like it least, and a pulled starter showing some edge isn't unusual. No exchange between the two has been reported, which leaves the look as the only evidence of any tension.
Michael DiPietro came in and stopped 13 of 14 shots. Casey Mittelstadt scored twice for Boston, but the Bruins never got close enough to make the goalie change the story of the game.
The timing is awkward for a team that has been rolling. The Bruins sit 13-5-1, third in the Atlantic Division, and they've now lost their last game after a 6-3-1 stretch over their last 10.
Was Sturm wrong to make the call?
No. Four goals on 17 shots gets a goalie pulled in almost any building, and Swayman wasn't going to get a pass because of his name. The Canadiens had Jacob Fowler making 30 saves at the other end, and Boston needed a spark.
Sturm played 938 NHL games himself. He knows what a competitive player looks like when he's angry at the world, and a glare from the crease is part of the job description.
It only becomes a real storyline if it repeats, or if the Bruins' handling of the crease changes in the coming days. Boston faces Minnesota on Saturday, and who gets the net will be the first thing people check.
This article was written with the help of artificial intelligence, based on public reports and official sources.
Who should start in goal for the Bruins against Minnesota on Saturday?
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