Joonas Korpisalo gets the call from Marco Sturm, and the Bruins are clearly choosing a fresh crease over pushing Jeremy Swayman again.

That's the real Boston story against Buffalo.
Not just who starts, but who doesn't.

Swayman was sitting there as the obvious back-to-back question.
Instead, the Bruins backed off that idea and handed the net to Korpisalo.

That decision says plenty about where Boston's staff is at right now.

They didn't want to stretch Swayman into a second straight start when the schedule is already tight.

It also keeps the spotlight on Korpisalo.

When Boston makes this kind of call, the backup isn't just filling minutes. He's being trusted with a meaningful night.

The blue line got a tweak too.

Andrew Peeke comes in for Henri Jokiharju, giving Boston another small lineup change in front of its goalie.

Boston is protecting its structure, not chasing a gamble

That's why this move makes sense.

The Bruins came into the night at 39-24-0 for 86 points, while Buffalo was sitting at 44-20-7 for 95.

Boston doesn't have room for sloppy decisions right now.

A fresh goalie and a defensive swap both point to the same thing: Sturm wants a steadier look.

And it also tells you the Bruins were not eager to test Swayman in a spot he has rarely seen.

Had he started, it would have been only the third time in his career he played on back-to-back nights.

That matters, even with a solid record in those spots.

Sometimes the smarter coaching move is the one that avoids asking for too much.

Korpisalo now gets the crease with Boston trying to stay on track in a crowded race.

That's real pressure, even without the bigger name getting the net.

So this is more than a routine goalie rotation.
It's Boston showing exactly how carefully it wants to manage this stretch.