The Boston Bruins, after a dominant start to the NHL season, winning eight of their first 11 games, have finally hit a speed bump.
After dropping a narrow, 2-1 decision to the defending Stanley Cup champion Carolina Hurricanes on Tuesday, the Bruins expected a bounce-back performance against the struggling St. Louis Blues, who came into the game at 5-6-1.
Instead, the Bruins never got started against St. Louis, with goalie Jeremy Swayman letting four slip past him in what ended as a 4-1 defeat. On Saturday, the Bruins made a decision before their matinee outing against the Chicago Blackhawks at TD Garden.
Backup Michael DiPietro will start in net for the Boston Bruins against the Blackhawks, with Swayman coming off back-to-back losses and getting a game to regroup.
Globe columnist Kevin Paul Dupont posted the lineup before the 1 p.m. ET game at the Garden. Sean Kuraly replaces Matthew Poitras, and Jonathan Aspirot replaces Connor Clifton.
Coach Marco Sturm made the changes to snap a two-game losing streak, according to the Boston Herald, which nonetheless described the goalie switch as a rotation decision rather than a benching of Swayman.
DiPietro’s Start Fits Boston Bruins Goalie Rotation
DiPietro last played Oct. 22, when he blanked Nashville, so Saturday is his turn. But the time off for Swayman comes at an opportune moment.
Swayman stopped 14 of 18 shots in Thursday’s 4-1 loss at St. Louis, and he is 2-2-1 with a .889 save percentage over his last five games, according to CBS Sports. Two days earlier, he made 28 saves on 30 shots in a 2-1 loss to Carolina.
Swayman remains the clear No. 1, with a 7-3-1 record and 2.35 goals-against average, a .912 save percentage and one shutout in 11 starts.
The Bruins host the Vegas Golden Knights on Monday, while Chicago ranks near the bottom in scoring, according to Chicago Hockey Now. Sturm has stressed using the full roster and keeping players sharp, and DiPietro’s small but strong sample gives him room to rotate.
DiPietro’s Season Resonates With Boston Bruins Fans
DiPietro, 27, is a Windsor, Ont., native and former Vancouver Canucks third-round pick from 2017. He spent years in the AHL, plus a stint in the ECHL with the Maine Mariners, before making Boston’s roster out of camp for the first time after the Bruins traded Joonas Korpisalo.
At Providence last season, he won the Les Cunningham Award as AHL MVP after going 34-8-1 with a 1.91 goals-against average and .930 save percentage. He also took the Aldege “Baz” Bastien Memorial Award as the league’s top goalie for a second straight year.
Through three starts this season, DiPietro is 2-1-0 with a 1.69 goals-against average and .941 save percentage, with 80 saves on 85 shots.
He lost 4-1 at Minnesota on Oct. 3 despite stopping 26 of 29 shots. “Outstanding,” Sturm said, as quoted by The Hockey News.
On Oct. 16, he beat Anaheim 4-2 to earn his first career NHL win, making 26 saves on 28 shots. “Probably the biggest factor why we won,” Sturm said of DiPietro.
Six days later, he posted his first NHL shutout in a 6-0 win over Nashville, stopping all 28 shots on Hockey Fights Cancer night. He dedicated the performance in part to his mother, who died of cancer when he was 5. Teammates, including David Pastrnak, joined the water-bottle shower afterward.
Local coverage has embraced the goalie, nicknamed “Dipper,” and Tim Thomas comparisons for his athletic style have followed. Saturday’s Halloween matinee marks his fourth start of the season.
Bruins Announce Jeremy Swayman Decision After Ugly 4-1 Loss to Blues