Ullmark or Swayman? 7 issues for the Bruins to address before the playoffs

BRIGHTON, Mass. — The Boston Bruins have seven regular-season games remaining. It gives them enough lead time to tidy up seven issues before the playoffs:

1. Who starts Game 1?

The answer, in all likelihood, won’t become clear until after the April 16 regular-season finale against the Ottawa Senators. For now, the Bruins are planning to rotate Linus Ullmark and Jeremy Swayman for the rest of the regular-season run.

Tuesday in Nashville is Ullmark’s turn. It is one of four scheduled starts for the defending Vezina Trophy winner. Swayman is next up on Thursday against the Carolina Hurricanes. Swayman is scheduled for two more starts after that.

Two-plus weeks is plenty of time for things to change. But based on current trends, Ullmark has Game 1 locked up — albeit with a big asterisk.

Since the trade deadline, when he learned he would not be moved, Ullmark has a .939 save percentage over five starts. This places him No. 7 among goalies with four or more appearances in this segment.

Swayman, meanwhile, has an .858 save percentage over his past five starts. The All-Star earned a critical shootout win in his most recent appearance on March 30 against the Washington Capitals. Swayman appears to be headed in the right direction. But Ullmark’s performance gives him the upper hand.

There is, however, an exception. The Bruins could play the Toronto Maple Leafs in Round 1. Swayman sparkled in the Bruins’ past two games against the Leafs. He stopped 32 shots in the Bruins’ 4-1 win on March 4. Three nights later, Swayman made 28 saves in another 4-1 win. He’s owned the Leafs. If the two Atlantic Division rivals line up in the first round, Swayman’s head-to-head performance could put him in net for Game 1.

This would not be such a big issue if the Bruins planned to roll a pure postseason rotation. They are unlikely to do so. They intend to ride the hot goalie, although they will be far more alert to making an in-round switch than they were last year against the Florida Panthers.

So if the Game 1 starter lights it up, he should be back in for Game 2.

2. Will Maroon be ready for Game 1?

Three-time Stanley Cup champion Pat Maroon practiced with his new team for the first time on Monday. Maroon is recovering from back surgery. The 35-year-old practiced as the No. 2 left wing next to Pavel Zacha and Danton Heinen.

Montgomery targeted April 13, Game 80, as a possible debut for Maroon if his recovery goes well. Maroon could play on the third or fourth line. He has not played since Jan. 27.

“Just getting your conditioning back,” Maroon said of his objectives between now and his first game. “Get up to speed with the group. Get some line rushes. Get some touches. Because it’s a completely different game when you’re just skating by yourself.”

It’s possible Maroon will not have any regular-season warmups. Montgomery would be fine with that.

“You would like them to have games. But it’s not necessary,” Montgomery said of players with championship pedigree like Maroon. “They know what it takes to win. They know their role. They relish their role. They understand how to manage games. It’s a big reason why we picked him up.”

3. Has Peeke locked up his job?

Andrew Peeke could not get regular playing time with the Columbus Blue Jackets, the worst team in the Eastern Conference. He has played in eight straight games for the Bruins. It is the longest streak of his season.

During overtime of his most recent appearance, Peeke was on the ice for 2:46 of Hampus Lindholm’s high-sticking double minor. Partly because of his penalty-killing work, Peeke helped the Bruins advance to the shootout.

Peeke has settled in as the third-pairing right-shot defenseman behind Charlie McAvoy and Brandon Carlo. The Bruins like his grunt work. It should come in handy in the playoffs.

“Consistently hard to play against,” Montgomery said of the 6-foot-3, 214-pounder.

4. Will Shattenkirk play in Game 1?

At one point, Kevin Shattenkirk looked to be the odd man out on the right side of the defense. But Montgomery has given the right-shot defenseman three looks on Peeke’s left side. He practiced there on Monday.

Shattenkirk scored the deciding goal in the shootout against the Capitals. When he’s in uniform, Shattenkirk is a dangerous point presence on the No. 2 power-play unit because of his experience, calmness and puck-moving touch.

Parker Wotherspoon is a left-shot defenseman. He is a more dependable defender than Shattenkirk. He can also kill penalties. But Shattenkirk is better with the puck in offensive situations.

The Bruins will most likely give the Shattenkirk-Peeke combination several more looks before making a decision.

5. Where does van Riemsdyk stand?

Veteran left wing James van Riemsdyk was a healthy scratch against the Capitals. He was an extra forward in Monday’s practice. He did not play well in his last appearance against the Tampa Bay Lightning.

Van Riemsdyk is No. 3 on the team with six power-play goals. The 34-year-old knows how to work the front of the net. But he has not scored any kind of goal since Feb. 17. Unless he picks up his pace, he could be an extra forward.

6. Will Pastrnak be 100 percent for the playoffs?

Pastrnak was given Monday’s practice off. He was not available for comment after the Bruins’ black-and-blue 4-3 win over the Florida Panthers on March 26 because he was receiving treatment.

The right wing has been handing out the punishment as well as receiving it. Against the Panthers, Pastrnak threw a reverse hit on Matthew Tkachuk moments before McAvoy scored the team’s first goal. The following night, Pastrnak’s forecheck on Matt Dumba caused a turnover that led to Danton Heinen’s goal.

“When Pasta decides to dig in physically, like we saw in the Florida game, not only is he a great offensive player,” said Montgomery. “He becomes a complete player who can dominate in a lot of fashions.”

The Bruins need Pastrnak to be at full strength in the playoffs. Rest may be in his future over the next two weeks.

7. How will the defensive pairs look?

Montgomery has always liked McAvoy with Matt Grzelcyk. The two have played together since their Boston University days. When Grzelcyk is on his game, his shot-suppression game optimizes McAvoy for up-ice parries.

Montgomery has also preferred how Lindholm plays with Brandon Carlo. He has used the duo as a shutdown pair.

Lindholm played with Peeke against the Lightning. One game later, Lindholm was with McAvoy.

Carlo, meanwhile, was used with Wotherspoon against Tampa. Carlo and Grzelcyk saw time together against the Capitals.

Lindholm and McAvoy practiced together on Monday. Carlo was with Mason Lohrei. Grzelcyk practiced on the extra duo with Wotherspoon.

“If the other team has one dominant line, we’re at home and we can match up against them,” Montgomery said of deploying the Lindholm-McAvoy duo, “yeah, we’re going to do it.”

(Top photo of Jeremy Swayman and Linus Ullmark: Maddie Meyer / Getty Images)