Bruins’ Jim Montgomery says Jeremy Swayman is ‘in Leafs’ heads’

The Boston Bruins are one victory away from taking a stranglehold in their Eastern Conference first-round series with the Toronto Maple Leafs after a tight 4-2, Game 3 win at Scotiabank Arena on Wednesday night.

And Jeremy Swayman, who was excellent as he has been against the Leafs all season, is starting to rattle some players on the opposing team. At least according to his head coach.

“Normally, I don’t think that [a goalie has one team’s number],” Jim Montgomery explained on Thursday, according to ESPN’s Kristen Shilton. “But when Domi goes off the bench and bumps [Swayman] on purpose, makes me think that maybe he’s in their head a little bit.”

“Maybe Sway is getting in their head; he’s making a lot of saves,” echoed Trent Frederic, who scored his team’s opening goal in Game 3. “So, bump our goalies. I don’t know, didn’t work [for them] last night.”

During a TV timeout in Game 3, Leafs forward Max Domi looked to try to run into Swayman on purpose. But that didn’t affect the 25-year-old, who was locked in again for his club. Toronto head coach Sheldon Keefe, not surprisingly, saw the exchange a little differently.

“It’s playoff hockey, and things are happening all over the ice,” said Keefe. “With that logic [from Montgomery] you would say every time they bump into one of our guys maybe we’re in their heads.”

Regardless of the minor interaction, it didn’t do anything to take Boston’s goalie off his game. Swayman made 28 saves on 30 shots in Game 3 to improve his record to a pristine 5-0-0 against Toronto this season.

But will it be enough for him to earn back-to-back starts — something that hasn’t happened in months?

Bruins still haven’t decided on goaltender for Game 4