Swayman, Bruins Shut Out Lightning to End Three-Game Skid

TAMPA -- Jeremy Swayman made 26 saves for his first win since Feb. 4, helping the Boston Bruins to a 4-0 victory against the Tampa Bay Lightning at Amalie Arena on Saturday.

Swayman, who was 0-4-2 in his previous six starts, got his fourth shutout of the season.

Cole Koepke scored twice for the Bruins (29-28-8), who had lost three straight.

Boston made five trades Friday, the day of the NHL Trade Deadline, and seven dating to Tuesday, which included dealing former captain Brad Marchand to the Florida Panthers, forward Charlie Coyle to the Colorado Avalanche and defenseman Brandon Carlo to the Toronto Maple Leafs.

"We've been building for a while it feels like and we just haven't been getting the results," Swayman said. "For today to get the result after everything that happened yesterday, it just goes to show what we have in this locker room, even with the new faces. It's a huge testament for the guys that were here longer than I've been."

Andrei Vasilevskiy made 21 saves for the Lightning (37-22-4), who had won 10 of 11.

"I think it started two nights ago when Buffalo came in. I don't think they were ready to play that game and clearly they weren't ready tonight," Tampa Bay coach Jon Cooper said of the Lightning, who defeated the Buffalo Sabres 6-5 on Thursday. "Maybe it's a little bit of seeing some of the guys out of their lineup and you can't do that in this league. It was a hard lesson learned but a team that came in here and worked their tails off."

Koepke gave Boston a 1-0 lead at 10:32 of the second period when he was credited with a goal after a scramble in front. After Koepke drove to the net and put a backhand through Vasilevskiy’s pads, Tampa Bay forward Oliver Bjorkstrand tried to clear the puck from the crease but knocked it in off of Vasilevskiy's pad.

Mark Kastelic made it 2-0 at 13:16 of the third period with a wrist shot from beyond the blue line that deflected off the stick of Lightning defenseman Darren Raddysh and caught Vasilevskiy out of position.

"The guys came ready to play today,” Bruins coach Joe Sacco said. “There was a determination in the room and it was a solid effort all around. We got contributions from everybody in the lineup tonight. It was a good team win."

Nikita Zadorov scored into an empty net to push it to 3-0 at 14:52 before Koepke’s second goal made it a 4-0 final at 15:53. He scored with a one-timer from the right face-off circle off a David Pastrnak pass on a 2-on-1.

"They just played harder than us, they outworked us," Tampa Bay forward Brandon Hagel said. "I don't think that's anywhere near Tampa Bay Lightning hockey and everyone knows it. Tonight it just wasn't us. When you're not at your best or not even close to your best it's an easy page to turn and a lesson to learn."

Casey Mittelstadt got the secondary assist on the final goal in his Boston debut. The center was acquired from Colorado in the trade for Coyle.

"That guy is a phenomenal player, he's got loads of skill," Koepke said of Mittelstadt. "When the puck’s on his stick it's in a good spot. He's always making really good plays and he sees the ice very well. He has an unbelievable skill set. I just tried to get him the puck as much as I could tonight and get open and let him do his thing."

NOTES: Tampa Bay defenseman Victor Hedman was a late scratch and is day to day with a lower-body injury. ... The Lightning had won their previous seven home games. They hadn’t been shut out at home since Nov. 11, 2023, in a 4-0 loss to the Carolina Hurricanes. ... It was Koepke’s first multigoal game in the NHL (82 games). ... Bruins defenseman Henri Jokiharju, acquired in a trade with the Sabres on Friday, was plus-1 with seven shot attempts (one on goal) in 18:38 of ice time in his Boston debut.