It’s been a fascinating case study of different circumstances on different teams to watch the Bruins' players perform during the Olympic tournament thus far, with varying degrees of deployment and effectiveness.
Jeremy Swaymangot the start for Team USA that he’d been waiting for on Saturday night against Team Denmark, and Swayman and the Americans ended up getting the all-important win. But it wasn’t easy as Swayman allowed three goals on 21 shots and the USA was down by a 2-1 score at the end of the opening period before opening up their awesome arsenal of explosive offense on the unwitting Danish. Unfortunately for Swayman, he played a major role in Team USA having a big hole to dig itself out of after the opening 20 minutes.
Certainly, the knives were out for Swayman on social media after Denmark scored a couple of fluky goals in the first period, including one from just inside center ice that will end up being an embarrassing Olympic memory for life.
Olympic Jeremy Swayman: pic.twitter.com/7gH1uWZndX— SleeperNHL (@SleeperNHL) February 14, 2026
Swayman talked about the long-distance shot that beat him early in the game, where he insisted that he lost the puck through a flash screen.
“No [I didn’t see it], it was a flash screen. It was just the perfect height, right between the stands and board level. I truly lost it,” said Swayman to reporters after the game. “No matter how they go in, you have to step up and stop the next one.”
“Definitely one I want back, but at the same time, especially at this level, you’ve got to stay even keeled. It’s one shot at a time, and no matter how they go in, you’ve got to step up and stop the next one. Just really proud of this group for supporting me and getting the job done tonight.”
As a Bruins fan it stings to see Swayman stink it up. I will point out that the boards behind the puck are black, maybe he lost sight of the puck because of it. Guy has to be better. A lot better. pic.twitter.com/q98IGoHMrn— Berkley Stevens (@BerkleyStevens_) February 14, 2026
Credit where it's due, Swayman rebounded in the final 40 minutes to put Team USA in a position to win the game.
But one would expect that Connor Hellebuyck is probably going to get the net for Sunday’s showdown with Team Germany for the top seed coming out of Pool C, and that Team USA will be looking to be a lot sharper overall after running head-long into some adversity on Saturday against a Denmark team that seemed highly motivated going up against Team USA after watching Greenland becomea political football over the last few months.
Charlie McAvoyplayed a solid 21:35 of ice time in Saturday’s win with a plus-1 rating and didn’t shy away from the rough stuff that’s been his calling card while skating for the Red, White and Blue.
Team Sweden has had an erratic journey thus far, with a couple of wins and a loss to rival Finland earlier this week, and the Bruins players were swept up in some lineup changes for the Saturday 5-3 win over Slovakia in Milan Cortina. Elias Lindholm was pulled from the Swedish lineup in a game that the Swedes had to win by at least three goals in order to win Group B, and Hampus Lindholmwas in the lineup for his first action of the tournament.
Unfortunately for Lindholm, he was the seventh D-man for Sweden and didn’t get a single shift in the winning effort for his country while Lucas Raymond and Elias Pettersson put on an offensive show for the Swedes. Amazingly, Slovakia actually won Group B as Sweden needed to put up a three-goal spread against Slovakia if they wanted to overtake them to win their group, so Slovakia gets the automatic bid into the medal round.
Here's a projection of how the Olympic bracket is likely shaping up. Barring a big upset. Explanation here @TheAthletic: https://t.co/AkDlIvgCfd pic.twitter.com/9iA8mqBRNg— James Mirtle (@mirtle) February 14, 2026
David Pastrnak continues to lead a solid Czechia team that beat France on Friday night with No. 88 finishing with a goal and two points, including a slick feed to Martin Necasfor a bombed one-timer to open up the scoring. It conjures up images of what B’s fans might have watched had the Black and Gold been able to pony up a competitive trade offer when Necas was on the block a couple of seasons ago.
Pastrnak finished with a plus-1 rating and a couple of shots on net in 19:19 of ice time while counting to bounce back from a spanking handed out by Team Canada on the opening night of the tournament.
Perhaps the biggest star of this weekend, however, is Bruins prospect Dans Locmelis, as he scored a pair of power play goals to lead Team Latvia to a 4-3 upset over Leon Draisaitland Team Germany on Saturday. Locmelis made the most of his 14-plus minutes of ice time, scoring goals that twice tied the game with two shots on net and a minus-1 while looming as their biggest offensive threat against the Germans.
Dans had a day 💪 #WinterOlympics #MilanoCortina2026 pic.twitter.com/WCtITYGpQJ— Boston Bruins (@NHLBruins) February 14, 2026
"I was actually thinking before this game, I don't really even care about goals or assists, I just want to be part of the team," said the 22-year-old Locmelis to NHL.com amidst his first full pro season, where he’s got 15 goals and 28 points in 43 games while ranking as one of Boston’s top prospects in their system. "I want to be part of something big, and hopefully we can surprise everyone."
Locmelis has been a regular staple for Team Latvia for the last five years and has steadily risen through the ranks from World Juniors star to now an Olympic hero, and he’s impressed his countrymen along the way.
"He's a great player and he's doing everything right in his career with the path he's on," said Latvian teammate and Tampa Bay Lightning forward Zemgus Girgensons to NHL.com. "Boston, I would assume, will give him a shot soon to show what he's made of. I think this is a great showing for him that he's ready to go against top dogs."
That has got to be music to the B’s ears as they continue to see their best and brightest prospects perform at high levels internationally, as well as at the collegiate level, with players like Dean Letourneau, James Hagens and Will Zellerscontinuing to impress.
Interestingly enough, former Bruins farmhand Eduards Tralmaks and former Bruins player Kaspars Daugavinsalso factored into the scoring, with Tralmaks scoring one of the goals for the Latvians in the 4-3 upset win. Tralmaks spent three years in the B’s organization after a four-year career at the University of Maine, where he played with Swayman and topped out with 14 goals and 27 points for the P-Bruins during the 2021-22 AHL season.
The Olympics are still in pool play for the men’s hockey tournament, so the real heroes and goats have yet to be fixed on anybody with the medal rounds still to come. But it’s been fascinating to watch Bruins players perform at both ends of the spectrum while being thrown into an international tournament that’s taken them away from their routine and comfortable environment that so many hockey players need to thrive.
