Anchoage’s Jeremy Swayman bounced back from a rough start Saturday. Photo courtesy of Team USA Hockey

It wasn’t a storybook start when Anchorage goaltender Jeremy Swayman made his Olympic debut Saturday.

He gave up two goals in the first period of Team USA’s 6-3 win over Denmark, including a 95-footer that sailed over his right shoulder and ignited criticism on social media.

Swayman stayed calm to finish with 18 saves on 21 shots.

The Americans are 2-0 heading into a preliminary game Sunday against Germany and would clinch a spot in the quarterfinals with a victory.

Swayman got plenty of heat on social media for giving up the long-range goal, but his team had his back.

U.S. coach Mike Sullivan said he never thought about pulling Swayman, and Swayman’s teammates said they never lost confidence in their goalie.

“We believe in him,” Sullivan told reporters after the game. “He’s a good goalie.”

Swayman gave up two goals on seven shots in the first period, and the second one is bound to be talked about for the rest of the tournament, if not longer.

Denmark’s Nicholas Jensen was near center ice when he sent a wrist shot toward the net. Swayman moved his glove but didn’t get a piece of the puck — a blunder that reportedly drew an audible gasp from the crowd in Milan.

Swayman told reporters he lost sight of the puck.

“It was just the perfect height right between the stands and board level, and I truly lost it,” he said. “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.”

The U.S. trailed 2-1 after one period but charged back to claim a 4-2 lead with three straight goals in the second period, including two in a 57-second span.

Photo courtesy of Team USA Hockey

Denmark cut the U.S. lead to 4-3 with seconds left in the second period with another soft goal. The Americans sealed the win with two goals in the third period.

Swayman, the starter for the Boston Bruins, is one of three goalies on the team. Connor Hellebuyck of the Winnipeg Jets made 17 saves in a 5-1 win over Latvia on Thursday and is expected to be back in goal for Sunday’s game.

It wasn’t immediately known Saturday if his backup will be Swayman or Jake Oettinger of the Dallas Stars, who was a healthy scratch for the Denmark game.

Swayman isn’t a stranger to high-level international play — he led the U.S. to the gold medal at last season’s World Championships.
On Saturday his teammates voiced their support.

“Funky bounce — you just move on,” forward Jack Eichel, who had a goal and an assist, told reporters. “Sway is a confident man. He knows nine times out of 10 — or 99 times out of 100 — he’s going to have that. It’s a crazy play.

“We don’t fault him.”

Swayman yielded three goals on 11 shots in the first two periods but stopped all 10 shots he faced in the third period.

“He’s been in big situations before, so he knows how to handle that,” defenseman Zach Werenski said in a report by the Associated Press. “He bounced back great. It didn’t seem like there was any panic in his game, and I thought he played really well.”