For Ullmark, First All-Star Game Nod is 'Surreal'

LOS ANGELES - Linus Ullmark admitted that growing up he never really envisioned playing in the National Hockey league. The netminder, instead, had his eyes set on someday suiting up for the local team in his native Sweden.
As such, a trip to the NHL All-Star Game was not high on the netminder's bucket list - if at all.
"I didn't have that goal when I was younger. I just wanted to play for the local team...that seemed so distant at the time - and then playing NHL was also a very distant dream. That wasn't something that I was aiming for a long time," said Ullmark.
"But as I got better, that dream kind of became something that I wanted to go for. And, you know, here I am down the road."

Here he is, indeed - in a spot that he couldn't have even imagined when he was watching the likes of Peter Forsberg, Nicklas Lidstrom, Joe Sakic, Patrick Roy, and Martin Brodeur play in the All-Star Game. On Thursday evening, Ullmark achieved his highest individual honor to date with his own All-Star nod, an accomplishment that is richly deserved given the backstop's stellar showing so far this season.
"I think it's kind of surreal," Ullmark said ahead of Thursday's contest against the Los Angeles Kings at crypto.com Arena. "I remember watching when I was young as well. It was one of the few things that we actually taped when I was younger to watch Peter Forsberg, Nick Lidstrom, Joe Sakic, those guys when they played an All-Star Game. It's always fun watching it. And yeah, it's a little surreal to be here now."
But hardly a surprise as Ullmark leads the league in wins (21-1-1), goals against average (1.86), and save percentage (.939). His pair of shutouts, meanwhile, ranks second.
"I play behind a very good team, it's a team effort," said Ullmark. "It's one of the luxuries, being a goaltender. Sometimes when you have a great team in front of you, that kind of comes with it, but it also goes hand in hand. Sometimes it's been me bailing them out and a lot of times they've bailed me out multiple times and you get to have that and a couple of bounces with you.
"And you know, there's very small things in the game of hockey that if it goes your way, you're lucky enough to be on the winning side. But if you don't have the bounces, you might lose the game."

Ullmark is the 11th goalie in Bruins history to be selected to the All-Star Game and first since Tuukka Rask in 2020 (did not play). The 29-year-old is just five wins shy of his career high in wins (26) set last season, his first campaign in Boston after spending the first six years of his career with the Buffalo Sabres.
"It calms it down a lot," Ullmark said of his second season with the Bruins. "The calm goalie is usually a better goalie than a very stressed out one…you want to have that impact on your teammates and on the game itself that whatever the opponents throw at you, you just kind of stand there and be calm about it and show the poise.
"And that's what I want to show to my teammates every night at every practice as well, to be someone to be relied upon as well."
Ullmark also had high praise for longtime Bruins goaltending coach Bob Essensa, who he said has helped him immensely as he's grabbed hold of the B's net.
"Huge impact. Huge impact. I owe a lot to all the coaches throughout my years, they've all had different kinds of perspectives and how they look at the game differently and how you want to create your own type of style," said Ullmark. "But I just love Bob and we have had great conversations throughout these one and a half years now and growing closer and closer for each day and for every conversation."

Ullmark added that he has embraced the idea of some tough love, encouraging Essensa to give it to him straight as he tries to improve his game.
"We butt heads sometimes, but it's also good and we can always agree upon something in the end," said Ullmark. "And I like that…I want someone that I can bounce ideas off and have a conversation with. I also want him to be honest with me and say, this is not good enough and this is not good enough. Because if I don't get to hear that, I can't improve, you know?
"I don't want someone to just pat my back all the time saying you do a good job. As a goaltender, you want to be able to make all the saves. So, we've found that back and forth kind of relationship now that I really enjoy working with him as well.
"And it kind of goes to show with me and [Jeremy Swayman] - people have always talked about me and Sway, but in the background there's Goalie Bob as well."
Ullmark said he plans to lean on some of the players - namely Patrice Bergeron (three appearances), Brad Marchand (two), and David Pastrnak (two) - who have played in the All-Star Game so he can gather more of an idea of what to expect.
"We just played a Winter Classic. That was the biggest thing in my life so far when it comes to hockey. I think this will be a lot of fun, a totally different setting, obviously, I'm looking forward to seeing what they have in store," said Ullmark.
"We'll see. I'm going to try to enjoy it as much as possible. Probably talk to a couple of the guys that've been there, Pasta and March or whoever has been there. I'm going to have to have a little conversation and see what it's all about, what to expect.
"You want to show your personality, show your flair, but you don't want to be a goofball and be a clown out there as well, because at the same time, it's an entertainment, it's a business and you want to look professional doing it."