The Boston Bruins are getting promising results out of their younger and less experienced players, and now their win streak is up to four.
The Bruins (6-2-0) scored four unanswered goals in a 4-2 win over the Anaheim Ducks (4-3-0) on Friday night at the Honda Center. Frederic Brunet (1) scored the first goal of his NHL career, and the Bruins got third-period goals from David Pastrnak (3), Elias Lindholm (2), and Matt Poitras (3).
Michael DiPietro recorded 25 saves in his first career NHL win.
Three of the Bruins’ four unanswered goals came on the power play. Going into the game, the Ducks boasted the fourth-best penalty kill in the league, having killed 19 of 21 penalties through their first six games. The Bruins’ power play was nothing to write home about, with three goals on 18 opportunities, all coming in the 6-1 win over Utah last Thursday.
Ahead of the game, Marco Sturm talked about how important it is for the Bruins to “win our special teams” battle. They did exactly that, with three power play goals and a perfect 5-for-5 showing on the penalty kill.
“Great,” Sturm said to reporters in Anaheim about the special teams. “Mikey [DiPietro] was our best killer. Penalty kill did outstanding. Power play was the difference. You know, we were not too happy about the turnovers in the first period; [it] cost us two 5-on-5 goals. But we also knew special teams got to win that game tonight, and they were huge.”
DiPietro was perfect for 59 of the 60 minutes on Friday. He stopped the first 12 shots he faced, then allowed two goals in the final 60 seconds of the first period. After the game, he said he did not see the first goal, but he was able to talk himself into refocusing.
“I said a lot of expletives to myself coming into the period,” DiPietro said with a smile. “Yeah, it’s hard to kind of refocus and kind of shut the door for the rest of the way. Especially, you know, they’re obviously an offensively skilled group, so just want to be sharp for the guys and come up with saves and just kind of keep it at two.”
The Ducks also entered the game with one of the league’s top power plays after converting 7 of 21 opportunities through their first six games. They had five opportunities on the man advantage, including a four-minute look at 5-on-4 after Nikita Zadorov doubled down on his elbowing minor and took a roughing call on Frank Vatrano.
Zadorov’s double-minor carried into the third, and the Ducks started the final frame with a one-goal lead and a three-minute power play. However, the Bruins knew momentum could tip if they stepped up on the kill.
“[Zadorov] has got to be smarter than that. I think he knows that too,” Sturm said postgame. “But again, I think the message was, ‘If we kill this penalty, I think we are going to go back to our game,’ because we felt a little bit in the second and I think we [were] going to find our game in the third like we usually do. We have a pretty good chance to win the hockey game, so that kill was huge.”
They only allowed one shot on the long penalty kill, and none came in the final three minutes.
Winning the special teams battle fueled the Bruins’ comeback, but the younger players made their mark throughout the night.
Frederic Brunet scored his first career goal in the second period, and after the game called it both “the worst shot of my career” and “a burger.” Matt Poitras added his 10th career goal in the third period. James Hagens had two assists for his first career multi-point night. DiPietro, while older than those three, earned his first NHL win in his second appearance this season.
“I’ve been with Mikey for a couple years now in Providence, and the way it happened, me scoring my first NHL goal and [he] getting his first win. I mean, it’s great,” Brunet said. “I think no one deserves it more than him, and the way he played in Providence, it was only a matter of time before he made the big step, and I’m super happy for him.”
“Fred is just a guy who, you know, he loves the game, and he’s just always got a smile on his face,” DiPietro said postgame. “For him just to be at such a young age and joining the NHL and playing as well as he is, I’m just so happy for him. Like I said, I can’t say enough great things about Fred and his work ethic and his attitude each and every day. Very happy for him and for Potsy as well.”
Marco Sturm said it himself after the win over Utah; he’s “not dumb.” He knows what his younger players can bring to the lineup, and he’s willing to give them a runway to prove themselves.
“I mean, they should [have confidence],” Sturm said. “I give them the opportunities, right? As long as they take advantage, I’m happy too.”
DiPietro has taken a long road through his professional career. He spent the first seven years in the minors, including a stop with the ECHL’s Maine Mariners upon landing with the Bruins organization in 2022. He was named the AHL’s best goaltender in each of the last two seasons, and in April, he was named AHL MVP.
For the 27-year-old, Friday’s milestone is one that he wants to hold onto, quite literally.
“The puck’s going under my pillow tonight, and then it’s going to go in my pocket tomorrow, and then probably on the plane, and everything in between,” DiPietro said. “This is not coming out of sight.”
It’s a quick turnaround for the Bruins. They will look to extend their winning streak to five on Saturday night when they take on the winless Los Angeles Kings in the second half of their back-to-back.
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