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Around The Rinks (Pro Edition): Jeremy Swayman suffers rare regulation loss; Isaiah Saville solid despite layoff (plus, ECHL, SPHL notes)

by | Feb 7, 2024 | Cover Story, Hockey

In his first start since his first NHL All-Star Game appearance, Boston Bruins goaltender Jeremy Swayman took a rare regulation loss Tuesday night.

The 25-year-old from Anchorage stopped 25 shots in a 4-1 loss to visiting Calgary and suffered a regulation defeat for the first time in his last eight starts. He had been on a 5-0-2 run.

Still, Swayman ranks fifth in the NHL in goals saved above average at 14.91 for the season, according to naturalstattrick.com

Swayman is 16-4-7 with a 2.36 goals-against average and .922 save percentage.

In the American Hockey League, Henderson Silver Knights goalie Isaiah Saville of Anchorage on Saturday made just his second appearance in 22 days. He made 31 saves in a 3-2 loss to Iowa.

Saville has played so infrequently of late because he spent about two weeks up with NHL Vegas, but only served as a backup. He still awaits his NHL debut.

Still, in those two starts for Henderson across 22 days, Saville has gone 0-1-1 with a 2.93 goals-against average and .926 save percentage. For the season, which began for Saville two months late because of a preseason injury, he’s 4-5-1, 2.57, .917 – those last two numbers are strong for a guy with a sub-.500 record.

In the ECHL, Kansas City Mavericks center Nolan Walker of Anchorage on Saturday joined the 20-goal club with his goal in a 4-1 home win over Wichita. Walker, a second-year pro, owns 20-23—43 totals and a plus-20 rating in 41 games.

Meanwhile, Tulsa Oilers forward Alec Butcher of Anchorage, a member of the 20-goal club the last two seasons, edged closer to a third such season when he delivered his 14th of the campaign in a 3-2 overtime loss to Utah on Saturday. In 42 combined games with Tulsa and Reading this season, Butcher owns 14-9—23 totals.

Drake Glover

Birmingham Bulls forward Drake Glover of Anchorage is already in the 20-goal club for the second straight season and leading the Southern Professional Hockey League in goals. He bagged the game-winning goal midway through the third period in Saturday’s 4-2 win over Roanoke to snap a season-worst, four-game point drought.

With 23-14—37 totals and a plus-19 rating, Glover leads the league in goals, is tied for fourth in points and tied for second in plus-minus.

Glover racked 20 goals in 49 games last season for SPHL Fayetteville and narrowly missed the 20-goal club the season before that, when he scored 19 goals in 45 games for Fayetteville.

Elsewhere in the SPHL, Peoria Rivermen winger Cayden Cahill of Anchorage had an assist in last Thursday’s 4-3 win at Roanoke to give him 10-18—28 totals and a plus-9 rating in 37 games.

Story made possible by:

Family of Sponsors

Alaska Airlines | Nicole Johnston | Richard Mize | Advanced Diagnostics, INC | Aktive Soles | Alaska Oil and Gas Association | Aspen Endodontics | Black-Smith, Bethard & Carlson, LLC. | BOSCO's | Coho Financial Group | Continental Auto Group | Don Clary & Judy Besh | Glen Bailey | Invisalign-Ben Ward | JL Properties | Joey Caterinichio & Ja Dorris| Kathleen Navarre | Midas Alaska | Moose's Tooth, Bear Tooth and Broken Tooth Brewing | Perkins Coie - Sarah & A.J. Schirack | R&M Consultants, Inc. | Dave & DeAnne Rand | RE/MAX Dynamic Properties Kevin Taylor | Scott Taylor |Residential Mortgage | Seth Wickersham & Alison Overholt | Taylored Restoration | Korndrop Family Foundation | Arctic Slope Regional Corporation | Replacement Glass | Zareena and Allen Clendaniel | Foley & Pearson | UAA Seawolves | Tony and Carla Slaton Barker | Sportclips Haircuts | Alliance for Support of American Legion Baseball in Alaska | Alice & Gunnar Knapp | Amy and Jason Miller | Burgerfi | Charles Fedullo | Dan Rufner | Darren Lieb | In Honor of James Libby | Seawolf 5th Line | Deb Essex | Don Winchester | Donley Family | Dr. Justin Libby, DDS | Firetap | Harlow Robinson | Jason & Shannon Metrokin | Jim & Michelle Hajdukovich | Joe Alston | Kathie Bethard | Krispy Kreme | Kristopher Knauss | Loren Kroon | Mark and Jamie Johnson | Mark Silverman | On the Border | Pete Robinson | Rick Mystrom | Team Heat | Team Moriarty | The Conway Family | Todd Whited | Moria Smith | In memory of Drs. John & Elizabeth Tower | Peter Pounds | Pete Robinson | Skinny Raven | Multisport Training of Alaska/Lisa Keller | RSA Engineering

Family of Sponsors

Alaska Airlines | Nicole Johnston | Richard Mize | Advanced Diagnostics, INC | Aktive Soles | Alaska Oil and Gas Association | Aspen Endodontics | Black-Smith, Bethard & Carlson, LLC. | BOSCO's | Coho Financial Group | Continental Auto Group | Don Clary & Judy Besh | Glen Bailey | Invisalign-Ben Ward | JL Properties | Joey Caterinichio & Ja Dorris| Kathleen Navarre | Midas Alaska | Moose's Tooth, Bear Tooth and Broken Tooth Brewing | Perkins Coie - Sarah & A.J. Schirack | R&M Consultants, Inc. | Dave & DeAnne Rand | RE/MAX Dynamic Properties Kevin Taylor | Scott Taylor |Residential Mortgage | Seth Wickersham & Alison Overholt | Taylored Restoration | Korndrop Family Foundation | Arctic Slope Regional Corporation | Replacement Glass | Zareena and Allen Clendaniel | Foley & Pearson | UAA Seawolves | Tony and Carla Slaton Barker | Sportclips Haircuts | Alliance for Support of American Legion Baseball in Alaska | Alice & Gunnar Knapp | Amy and Jason Miller | Burgerfi | Charles Fedullo | Dan Rufner | Darren Lieb | In Honor of James Libby | Seawolf 5th Line | Deb Essex | Don Winchester | Donley Family | Dr. Justin Libby, DDS | Firetap | Harlow Robinson | Jason & Shannon Metrokin | Jim & Michelle Hajdukovich | Joe Alston | Kathie Bethard | Krispy Kreme | Kristopher Knauss | Loren Kroon | Mark and Jamie Johnson | Mark Silverman | On the Border | Pete Robinson | Rick Mystrom | Team Heat | Team Moriarty | The Conway Family | Todd Whited | Moria Smith | In memory of Drs. John & Elizabeth Tower | Peter Pounds | Pete Robinson | Skinny Raven | Multisport Training of Alaska/Lisa Keller | RSA Engineering

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