Boston Bruins goaltender Michael DiPietro and head coach Marco Sturm are officially parting ways as the Olympic break rolls on.

The 26-year-old netminder was officially reassigned back down to the Providence Bruins on Friday afternoon.

With Jeremy Swayman and Joonas Korpisalo currently chasing prestigious gold medals in Italy, the front office desperately needed a warm body in the crease.

You simply cannot run an intense 60-minute practice session without a legitimate professional goaltender facing live bullets.

DiPietro gladly stepped up, allowing the remaining roster players to maintain their crisp passing and offensive output during the extended league layoff.

But with the mandatory team workouts finally concluding, keeping him stapled to an empty NHL bench serves absolutely zero development purpose.

Back To The Minor League Grind

Sending him down immediately allows the hungry prospect to actually start meaningful games in the American Hockey League this weekend.

He currently boasts a spectacular .918 save percentage through 31 appearances down in Providence, proving he deserves every single starting rep he can possibly get right now.

Over his NHL career, opportunities at the highest professional level have been incredibly scarce, forcing him to patiently master his craft in the harsh minor leagues.

The big club is actively preparing for the grueling final 26-game stretch of the regular season schedule once the massive international tournament finally wraps up.

When regular game action resumes, Boston cannot afford to be held scoreless on nights when their rested starting goaltenders inevitably shake off the rust.

They desperately need to ensure their bottom six completely avoids posting a -3 rating by trapping divisional opponents with heavy defensive zone pressure.

Expect DiPietro to face a massive 40-shot barrage on Friday night, keeping his athletic reflexes perfectly sharp for his next eventual NHL call-up.