Bruins make move in goal ahead of tilt vs. Senators
Thursday came with another roster move from the forever-busy Bruins, and with a focus in goal, as the team has recalled Michael DiPietro from Providence ahead of tonight’s game against Ottawa.
The decision to recall DiPietro comes after a Wednesday loss in New Jersey that saw Jeremy Swayman lifted from action after 40 minutes of play in what finished as a 5-1 loss for Boston, and with Bruins interim head coach Joe Sacco noting that Swayman is dealing with something physically.
The 25-year-old DiPietro’s recall comes in the midst of what’s been an absolutely fantastic season down in Providence (and one that’s earned DiPietro a nod as an AHL All-Star this season), with a 14-5-3 record in 22 games for the Baby B’s. In addition to his 14 wins, DiPietro has a 1.95 goals against average (second-best in the AHL), while his .930 save percentage stands as the fourth-best in the minors.
DiPietro, initially picked up from the Canucks organization in the 2022 trade that sent Jack Studnicka to Vancouver and on a league-minimum contract, has compiled a 33-14-5 record and .923 save percentage in 53 games for the P-Bruins over the last three seasons.
This is DiPietro’s first NHL recall since coming to the B’s organization, and his first since making three appearances for Vancouver over the course of four seasons, beginning with an NHL debut as a 19-year-old during the 2018-19 season. Absolutely not ready for that moment (and essentially thrown in there by necessity for the Canucks), DiPietro ultimately went 0-2-0 with a .771 save percentage and 5.25 goals against average in his three games of work over that three-season span with the Canucks.
If this move is related to Swayman’s health (as one would be led to believe given Sacco’s comments last night as well as Swayman’s early departure), this will leave the Bruins with a Joonas Korpisalo and DiPietro tandem for Thursday’s pivotal showdown with the Senators, with Boston and Ottawa coming into this game tied at 52 points and battling for a wild card spot in the Eastern Conference.