Jeremy Swayman Want In On Game 2 Melee? Jim Montgomery Gives Great Answer

There was no shortage of skirmishes in the third period of Game 2 between the Boston Bruins and the Florida Panthers.

Trent Frederic threw a few punches in an after-the-whistle scrum while Brad Marchand and Brandon Montour got into it. David Pastrnak even dropped the gloves for a rare fight with Matthew Tkachuk.

The only thing that was missing from the drawn-out melee was a goalie fight. And perhaps that would have happened if Jeremy Swayman, who was pulled 1:28 into the third period after giving up a fourth goal, was still on the ice.

Swayman mixed it up plenty of times this season when the opposition got too close to the crease and Bruins head coach Jim Montgomery gave a terrific answer on if the Boston netminder was upset that he didn’t get to partake in any of the festivities.

“Oh, for sure,” Montgomery told reporters with a laugh on Thursday, per team-provided video.

The 25-year-old Swayman has been chomping at the bit to drop his goalie gear for a fight, patiently waiting for the right moment to do so. It almost came in early March when Swayman skated to center ice and challenged Toronto Maple Leafs goalie Joseph Woll. But Woll wanted no part of it.

Maybe Swayman would have found a more willing partner in Panthers goalie Sergei Bobrovsky. Bobrovsky, like Swayman, isn’t afraid to go after players if he feels they have crossed a line.

Swayman just might get an opportunity to throw his weight around in Game 3 on Friday night, especially if the bad blood — 12 players received game misconducts — from the previous contest carries over.

But the Bruins surely will be looking more for Swayman to deliver a bounce-back performance rather than getting in a tussle with Bobrovsky, no matter how entertaining that would ultimately be.