The Boston Bruins are entering their first-round playoff series against the Buffalo Sabres with a significant strategic advantage, and it's all thanks to their star goaltender, Jeremy Swayman. While Swayman was the workhorse for Boston during the regular season, starting 54 games and backstopping 31 of the team's 45 wins, the Sabres have barely seen him. In a fascinating bit of regular-season gamesmanship, Swayman faced Buffalo only once—all the way back on October 11th.

That lone appearance was a dominant 3-1 victory for the Bruins, with Swayman turning aside 21 of 22 shots. For the remainder of their four-game season series, Boston strategically deployed backup Joonas Korpisalo, securing a 3-1 record against their Atlantic Division rival. This means the Sabres' current lineup has had almost no recent game film to study on the goalie they're likely to see most in the playoffs.

Head coach Marco Sturm has yet to announce his playoff starter, but history offers a strong clue. In the 2024 postseason, Swayman started 12 of 13 games, proving he can handle a heavy workload when the stakes are highest. If Sturm leans on his ace again, the Bruins will benefit from a major element of surprise. Buffalo's shooters will be facing a Vezina-caliber goaltender they haven't competed against in over six months, a unique challenge that could tilt the series in Boston's favor from the very first puck drop.