Michael DiPietro got his first real chance to make a case on Sunday, and he did not waste it.
In Boston’s preseason opener against the Washington Capitals at TD Garden, the Bruins’ goaltender stopped 30 shots across regulation and overtime, then shut the door again in the shootout. He turned aside attempts from Alex Tuch, Pierre-Luc Dubois and Anthony Beauvillier, and James Hagens’ goal on Boston’s first shootout try held up as the winner in a 3-2 Bruins victory.
For DiPietro, the night was less about the result than about the opportunity. With the Bruins making moves on July 1 that included sending Joonas Korpisalo out to clear his contract and open a path to the NHL, DiPietro now has a real shot to grab the backup job behind Jeremy Swayman.
The 27-year-old has spent the last two seasons as the top goalie for the Providence Bruins in the American Hockey League, after Boston acquired him from the Vancouver Canucks in the deal that sent former Bruins prospect Jack Studnicka to Vancouver. After years of working his way up through the AHL, he’s finally getting the kind of camp battle he’s been waiting for.
DiPietro was blunt about where he stands after the game, according to Belle Fraser of BostonBruins.com.
“All in all, I liked my game. Obviously a few things to clean up but a good first one to get out of the way,” DiPietro said.
“I think any time you go to main camp you have the mindset of trying to put a good foot forward. I think for me, just trying to compete, stay humble and lean on my work ethic and try to earn a job.”
Boston has already felt the sting of losing Brandon Bussi, who went on to lead the Carolina Hurricanes to the Stanley Cup last spring, so DiPietro’s push carries real weight. He looked ready against Washington, and with Korpisalo gone, the Bruins need him to keep proving he can handle NHL minutes.
The question now is whether he can keep this up long enough to claim a role in Boston, maybe even the kind of 25-game workload that would spell Swayman down the line in 2026-27. After Sunday, he’s made a strong first statement.
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Bruins May Have Found A Real Backup Battle Behind Swayman
The Bruins opened preseason play with a win over the Capitals, and the night did more than just give Boston a first glimpse at its lineup. After a 2-2 tie in regulation, the game moved to a shootout, where Michael DiPietro handled the late pressure and helped the Bruins leave with a little early momentum. It was also one of the first chances to see how the new NHL equipment and uniform compliance rules would be enforced in game action.
For a team trying to sort out the depth chart behind Jeremy Swayman, DiPietros performance stood out for all the right reasons. He turned aside 29 shots before the extra session, giving Boston a steady presence in net while the Bruins looked for answers in a game that had the feel of more than a routine exhibition. James Hagens provided the finishing touch in the shootout, and for a team with questions to answer in goal, that kind of start is exactly the sort of development worth watching a little longer. [Read more 🡒]
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Six defensemen look locked in, but two spots are still up for grabs, and the competition now carries some real weight because of McAvoys suspension. Frederic Brunet has emerged as a name worth watching because of the upside he brings, while Jordan Harris, Henri Jokiharju and Jonathan Aspirot are also in the mix as the Bruins try to decide who fits best when the games start to count. [Read more 🡒]
Matthew Poitras Is Making The Bruins' Opening Night Picture Interesting
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Alex Steeves was part of the same competition, but Poitras made the stronger case on the night and added some intrigue to the roster battle up front. With opening night still ahead, Boston has a decision to make about how much it wants to lean on his development, and whether his preseason push can translate into a spot as an extra forward or even a fourth-line center. [Read more 🡒]