Michael DiPietro is 4-0-0 in his last four games, and the Bruins got another one from him last night in a 6-2 win over the Penguins.
Boston Hockey Now had projected Jeremy Swayman for the start in Pittsburgh. Marco Sturm went with DiPietro instead, a backup with only 9 career NHL games.
He delivered 16 saves on 18 shots on Thursday night, while Pavel Zacha scored twice at the other end. It was Boston's third straight win.
Jack Studley noted that DiPietro's 16 saves came in his fourth straight win.
Swayman is still the established number one. He got the nod against the Golden Knights start earlier this week, and he has 12 games this season to DiPietro's 5.
Dans les coulisses laid out the rest of DiPietro's run: a .931 save percentage, a 1.99 GAA and one shutout over those four games.
Swayman's net suddenly has company
Nobody in the Bruins' room is going to complain. Boston is 12-4-1, second in the NHL and first in the Atlantic Division, and the goaltending has not been the problem.
The Penguins were the right opponent for a backup to feel comfortable. They are 5-9-2, have lost four straight and have won only once on the road.
Still, a clean performance against a struggling team does not settle anything. What it does is give Sturm a real choice, and a coach with a 12-4-1 team should be happy to have one. Starting DiPietro over the projected Swayman looks like a smart read, not a gamble that got lucky. The DiPietro profile Fluto Shinzawa published Thursday makes the story even better, since the goalie once thought about walking away.
The Panthers visit on Sunday, Nov. 8, and who starts in goal is unknown. Florida is 9-5-2 and plays at Washington on Saturday first, so Sturm has a little time to decide how long he rides a hot hand.
