$66,000,000 Boston Bruins goalie self-critical after 4-3 loss to Capitals

The Boston Bruins lost 4-3 to the Washington Capitals at TD Garden, extending their winless streak to nine games. Goalie Jeremy Swayman made 28 saves but could not prevent another loss. Despite playing well, he remained self-critical after the game.

Swayman, who signed an eight-year, $66 million contract in October, admitted the stretch had been challenging. He said it was the worst feeling not getting results and called himself his own worst critic. But he remained focused on staying positive and competitive.

"I’ll tell you what—it’s been challenging....And I’m grateful for that challenge. I’ve had good nights, I’ve had bad nights, but that’s something I have to grow with. I have to keep my head up—I owe it to myself, I owe it to this team. I need to be dialed in every single chance I get. Today was a good example of that—making sure I was staying positive, extremely competitive, and hard on pucks.

"It’s the worst thing ever, not getting results—not going to lie to you. And I’m my own worst critic, right? That’s something I’ve battled and will continue to battle. But again, I can grow from it, we all can grow from it. And I know we’re going to start getting results," Swayman said.

Boston fought back from a two-goal deficit, with David Pastrnak scoring twice. But Washington took control again in the third period. Dylan Strome’s goal gave the Capitals the lead, and Tom Wilson’s goal made it 4-2. Pastrnak scored again, but the Bruins couldn’t complete the comeback.

Boston Bruins coach Joe Sacco talked about the loss to Caps

Boston Bruins coach Joe Sacco said the team is still fighting hard. He encouraged players to keep battling until the season ends.

"Guys are trying to get a win," Sacco said (via NHL.com), "You want to just make sure that you keep battling, you keep playing through it, and I thought we did tonight. ... We’re going to play hard right to the very end.”

Sacco remained positive despite the loss. The Boston Bruins were outshot 32-24 despite controlling 54.1% of face-off chances. They are down 2-1 to the Washington Capitals in this season's series.

The Boston Bruins have struggled this season with a 30-36-9 record. They are last in the Atlantic Division. Their offense averages 2.61 goals per game, while their defense allows 3.28 goals per game. David Pastrnak leads with 37 goals and 88 points. After strong past seasons, they have not performed well in 2024-25.