In a commanding performance, Jeremy Swayman turned aside all 26 shots he encountered, guiding the Boston Bruins to a decisive 4-0 triumph over the Tampa Bay Lightning in a Saturday matchup in Tampa, Florida.
Cole Koepke delivered a remarkable performance by netting two goals against his former team. Meanwhile, efforts from Mark Kastelic and Nikita Zadorov also found the back of the net, securing only Boston’s second win in their last ten games.
Swayman’s stellar outing marked his fourth shutout in the current season and the 16th throughout his career. Opposite to him, Tampa Bay’s netminder, Andrei Vasilevskiy, made 21 saves throughout the game.
The breakthrough for Boston came when Casey Mittelstadt intercepted a pass from Nick Perbix in neutral territory, setting Koepke up for a shot. As Koepke charged towards the net, his attempt was initially thwarted by Vasilevskiy. However, an attempt by Oliver Bjorkstrand to clear the puck unfortunately deflected off the goalie’s pad, allowing the puck to slide into the net at 10:32 during the second period.
**Key Takeaways:**
Boston’s Jeremy Swayman celebrated his first victory since February 4th against Minnesota, having been 0-4-2 in his six prior starts. The Bruins, grappling with a 2-10-1 away record since December 31, saw newly acquired Casey Mittelstadt contribute an assist during his debut with the team.
As for Tampa Bay, defenseman Victor Hedman, who participated in the pregame warmup, was sidelined due to a lower-body injury and is evaluated on a day-to-day basis. The loss halted Tampa Bay’s impressive seven-game winning streak at home.
**Critical Moment:**
With the Lightning trailing by a single goal in the third period, Brandon Hagel had a prime opportunity to equalize when the puck was tantalizingly close to the crease and the net largely unattended, but Swayman’s quick stick maneuver foiled the attempt at the 4:20 mark.
**Noteworthy Stat:**
Tampa Bay experienced their second shutout in a stretch of 16 matches after avoiding a shutout for 113 games straight from November 14, 2023, until January 25, 2025.
**What’s Next:**
The Bruins are set to host the Florida Panthers on Tuesday, whereas the Lightning will face the Carolina Hurricanes on the road.
