Bruins goaltender and Vezina Trophy front-runner Linus Ullmark acknowledged that he didn't perform to his usual sparkling standard during Boston's astonishing first-round defeat to the underdog Florida Panthers.
"It's pretty evident that I didn't play the way that I wanted to," he said Tuesday during the Bruins' final media availability of the season. "I wasn't as good as I wanted to be, unfortunately, at the worst time possible. That's something I have to live with."
The 29-year-old started the Bruins' first six games of the opening round, going 3-3 before being replaced by running mate Jeremy Swayman in Game 7.
Ullmark struggled to find his regular-season form against the Cardiac Cats:
| 2022-23 | SV% | GAA | GSAx | GSAA |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Regular season (49 GP) | .938 | 1.89 | 38.21 | 46.69 |
| Playoffs (6 GP) | .896 | 3.33 | -0.76 | -2.38 |
On Monday, ESPN's Kevin Weekes reported that the goaltender played through a "debilitating and painful injury" that hindered his mobility in the postseason.
Ullmark opted not to disclose details of any potential ailment.
"We all go through things in life. We all go through things when it comes playoff time," he said. "We all battle our different things - whether it's mentally or if it's physically, we all have our stuff."
He added, "I had full confidence in my abilities every single game that I played. That's the honest truth. Otherwise, I would've stepped aside."
Defenseman Charlie McAvoy said he was still "kind of numb" two days after the Bruins' crushing upset.
"It's so fresh, it's hard to even put it into words, what went wrong or where it went wrong," he said. "It's just the ultimate disappointment right now."
The Presidents' Trophy-winning Bruins set new NHL records in wins (65) and points (135) during the regular season. Despite the early postseason exit, Brad Marchand hopes the Bruins can grow from the experience.
"You just gotta sit and dwell on the opportunity lost and how things played out," he said. "It doesn't get any easier, and I'm sure it won't for a while. ... At the end of the day, the sun still rises.
"These are the things that you go through that make your team stronger down the road. Obviously, it's not the way that we would've liked to end the season, but I think the worst thing we could do is not try to learn from it."
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