SUNRISE, Fla. — The Florida Panthers did the unthinkable Wednesday night.
They made Jeremy Swayman look mortal between the pipes.
At least that’s how the optics presented themselves in Game 2 of this second-round series at Amerant Bank Arena, with Swayman relegated to the Bruins bench after a fourth Panthers skater scored on his watch.
It was the first time this postseason that Swayman relinquished more than two goals in a game, shattering the growing sentiment that he had become an unshakable D-zone cheat code.
But a glance at the scoresheet doesn’t tell the full story of Swayman’s role in the Bruins’ 6-1 loss.
Nor does the sight of Linus Ullmark in net over the final 18:32 stand as any evidence that he will be the first goalie on the ice for Game 3 Friday night.
Because on a miserable night when the Bruins were bruised and beaten by a re-engaged Panthers team, their goalie was the least of their problems.
“No, the workload hasn’t played into Jeremy Swayman,” coach Jim Montgomery said. “The workload played into our effort tonight. We didn’t have juice tonight.”
The five-goal loss would have been steeper had it not been for Swayman, in a game where the Bruins often handled pucks like hand grenades. Those repeated fumblings had Swayman catching the resulting shrapnel in the crease.
After Eetu Luostarinen’s tap-in just 1:28 into the third period made it 4-1, Montgomery offered some words of encouragement to Swayman as the goalie made his way down the tunnel.
“I trust that guy with my life,” Swayman said. “He’s going to make decisions that are going to help the team. And all I can say is I can’t wait for Friday.”
Montgomery had little reason to harp on Swayman’s fortitude in net, not with the miscues piling up in front of him throughout the sloppy showing.
“Swayman was terrific,” Montgomery said. “I thought about taking him out at 3-1, going into the third. And then when the fourth goal went in, I was like, ‘I’m taking him out now.’ He made two great saves before [Luostarinen’s goal].”
Of the four goals scored against Swayman, two were generated off rough shifts byCharlie McAvoy in the second period, with the stickless defenseman unable to tie up Aleksander Barkov’s rebound strike at 9:49 that made it 2-1 before screening his goalie on Gustav Forsling’s buzzer-beater that followed a failed clear by Brad Marchand.
Miscommunication and a defensive breakdown led to an uncovered Steven Lorentz redirecting a Brandon Montour shot past Swayman for Florida’s opening strike at 1:56 of the second, while Luostarinen’s goal capped a sequence that the Bruins initially thought was icing and ended with Brandon Carlo coughing up the puck along the endboards.
Swayman is far from the reason the Bruins return to TD Garden in a 1-1 series deadlock. But will that be enough to steer Montgomery away from Ullmark in Game 3?
Bruins general manager Don Sweeney noted before the playoffs that “performance and results will dictate” the goalie deployment. That was the case when Swayman earned seven consecutive starts, including a 38-save gem against Florida Monday night in Game 1.
Wednesday’s loss seemingly would signal that it’s Ullmark’s turn to try to stem the tide. It’s a contingency plan that most teams would love to have — especially with the reigning Vezina Trophy winner sporting a .947 save percentage over three appearances against Florida during the regular season.
Rest is no issue for Ullmark, who last started a game April 22 vs. Toronto.
The NHL is a results-based business, especially at this juncture of the calendar. But after a night when his skaters largely left him hung out to dry, should Swayman be the one to get the hook in what has all the makings of a pugnacious rematch on Causeway Street?
With Wednesday’s loss, Swayman’s save percentage has dipped … to a stellar .943 over eight games. According to Natural Stat Trick, he leads all playoff goalies in goals saved above average at 9.14. New York’s Igor Shesterkin ranks second i at 4.33.
“One game at a time is all I’m worried about,” Swayman noted. “Body feels great. I’m very lucky to be in this position. And I can’t wait till Friday.”
Whether he spends it on the bench or back in net remains to be seen.
Conor Ryan can be reached at conor.ryan@globe.com.