Jeremy Swayman’s ascension as Bruins’ No. 1 netminder through playoff run is a promising sign - The Boston Globe (2024)

But amid the finality of Friday night’s 2-1 defeat at the hands of the Panthers setting in, Swayman’s despair was buoyed by the cacophony of cheers raining down from the Garden rafters.

It didn’t take long for the chants of nearly 18,000 fans to reach a crescendo.

“Sway-man! Sway-man!” echoed throughout as Swayman embraced his teammates.

It was a fitting tribute to the player who pushed an overachieving Bruins team into the second round of the playoffs — and an emphatic stamp on a run where the 25-year-old entrenched himself as Boston’s No. 1 netminder for the foreseeable future.

“Tears,” Swayman said of his reaction to the postgame cheers. “I couldn’t be more grateful to have a city, to have a home base that’s as supportive as Boston. And they mean so much more than just fans to me. It’s truly a home for me now. And to hear that was above and beyond. I’m just so grateful.”

The Bruins’ success over the last few years was built on the steady foundation provided by having two proven netminders: Swayman and Linus Ullmark. But it was Swayman’s ascension this postseason that allowed a successful regular-season roster to finally move past the first round for the first time since 2021.

Swayman started 12 of the Bruins’ 13 playoff games this spring, with Jim Montgomery and his staff shredding the plans for a goalie rotation as Swayman’s confidence continued to soar.

It was a drastic shift in strategy for the Bruins, but one that yielded immediate returns.

Swayman closed out his first full playoff run as Boston’s No. 1 with a .933 save percentage — tops among postseason goalies with at least four starts.

His 11.29 goals saved above average (GSAA) this postseason led all goalies, with the Rangers’ Igor Shesterkin ranking second at 6.42, per Natural Stat Trick.

“Jeremy Swayman was terrific,” Montgomery said after the loss. “He gave us an opportunity to win every night, making sensational saves. His competitiveness was something that our players and our team and our bench fed off.”

Had it not been for Swayman, the Bruins likely would have seen their season come to an end in the first round for the third consecutive year — a painful result only sharpened had it come at the hands of another reviled foe in the Maple Leafs.

But Swayman refused to budge against Toronto, registering a .950 save percentage for the series.

He once again kept the Bruins’ season afloat even as the Panthers pushed them to the brink with a last-second stop against Sam Reinhart in Game 5, giving his team a chance to bring the series back to Causeway Street.

Swayman said Forsling’s series-ending tally was “unacceptable” — a rare fault amid a sterling showing. That harsh lens through which Swayman viewed his own game was not shared by his teammates.

“A lot of guys have a lot of respect for him in this room,” Jake DeBrusk said. “[He] got us to this point, pretty much won us the Toronto series, kept us in that and then extended this series for us.

“I know goalies feel like every mistake’s a goal, but sometimes it’s not even a mistake. And he covered for a lot of ours. So, I think what guys are saying is, ‘Just keep your head up, man, you’re a stud. [You] really took your game up in the playoffs and to be proud of that.’ ”

A roster that Swayman said felt like a “family” will likely be very different in 2024-25. Swayman and Ullmark may have shared their final joyous embrace as teammates on Tuesday night in Sunrise, Fla.

But as the Bruins put a cap-crunched season in the rearview and prep for sizable renovations, one thing is clear: Boston has its franchise goalie in place. And he shouldn’t be leaving the crease any time soon.

“It’s not about me as an individual,” said Swayman, a pending restricted free agent. “It’s about our team, and to see it all end so abruptly is something they never want to feel. But I’m just so proud of everyone being here and setting the foundation for what’s to come next.

“Obviously I want to stay in the moment and really embrace what we have in this locker room and what we accomplished this year. But that was a really special moment. I’m very grateful.”

Conor Ryan can be reached at conor.ryan@globe.com.