Report: Bruins star goalie played through 'debilitating' injury vs. Panthers
Boston Bruins goalie Linus Ullmark was relegated to the bench as his team choked away a 3-1 series lead and lost Game 7 against the Florida Panthers on Sunday night.
Now, details are starting to come out on just how badly the likely Vezina Trophy winner was hurt during the monumental upset playoff loss against the Panthers.
After missing the team's regular-season finale due to an undisclosed injury, Ullmark returned for the postseason and played in the first six games of the series. Boston head coach Jim Montgomery said on multiple occasions leading into the playoffs that Ullmark's regular-season finale absence was "precautionary" and that the 29-year-old would be “fine.”
After a 3-1 victory in Game 1, Ullmark and the Bruins dropped Game 2 at home 6-3, with the netminder surrendering five scores, including three in the third period. He bounced back by allowing just two goals apiece in Games 3 and 4 (both wins on the road), before giving up all four in an overtime loss in Game 5.
Ullmark led the NHL with a 1.89 goals against average in the regular season and surrendered a season-high five scores on just two occasions but let in six during Boston's 7-5 loss in Game 6, including three in the third period. Jeremy Swayman played the entirety of Game 7 in place of Ullmark, a contest that the Bruins lost 4-3 in overtime.
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