Road Trip Rolls On: Bruins at Ducks Tonight, DiPietro Gets the Start
Grab the coffee, Bruins fans, because it's a West Coast night. The Bruins carry a three-game winning streak into Anaheim tonight as their road trip continues against the Ducks. Puck drop is 10 p.m. ET, and you can catch it on NESN. Boston comes in at 5-2-0, while Anaheim is 4-2-0.
Here's everything you need to know before the late start.
DiPietro gets the net
Michael DiPietro is expected to make his second start of the season tonight. His first came back on Oct. 3 in Minnesota, his first NHL start in more than four years, and he played well in that one even though the result didn't go our way. We're rooting hard for him to get a win this time.
That means Jeremy Swayman gets a breather. Sway is 5-1 with a shutout and has been fantastic, and he'll likely start Saturday night in Los Angeles to finish the back-to-back. Splitting the load on back-to-backs is smart management in a long season, and it gives DiPietro a chance to show what he can do.
The lines
Coach Marco Sturm is expected to stick with what's been working. Here's the projected lineup:
Forwards: Morgan Geekie, Pavel Zacha and David Pastrnak on the top line. Marat Khusnutdinov, Fraser Minten and JJ Peterka together on the line that's been driving everything lately. Casey Mittelstadt, Elias Lindholm and James Hagens on the third line. Tanner Jeannot, Matthew Poitras and Mark Kastelic on the fourth.
Defense: Hampus Lindholm with Charlie McAvoy on the top pair, Nikita Zadorov with Will Borgen, and Frederic Brunet with Mason Lohrei.
Scratches: Jonathan Aspirot, Sean Kuraly and Connor Clifton are expected to sit. The best news of all? The Bruins report no injuries. Healthy lineup, hot team. That's a great combination.
What about the Ducks?
Anaheim is dealing with a lot of injuries right now. They'll be without Troy Terry, Ryan Poehling, Mikael Granlund and Ian Moore. On the other hand, Cutter Gauthier is expected back from an upper-body injury, and he'll play center for the first time in his NHL career. That's an interesting wrinkle to watch.
Three things we're watching
1. The Minten line. Minten has five points in his last two games, and his line with Khusnutdinov and Peterka has been Boston's best for a week. Can they keep it going?
2. The power play. After an 0-for-10 start, it's found its groove. We'd love to see it keep clicking on the road.
3. DiPietro's night. A strong performance from the backup would be a huge confidence boost heading into a busy stretch.
Why this trip matters
This is Boston's longest road trip of the season, and it's off to a great start with the win in San Jose. Road trips like this can tell you a lot about a team. Long flights, late nights, hostile buildings, and back-to-backs test your depth and your character. A strong showing out West would be a great sign for the months ahead.
And for those of us watching from home on the East Coast, it's a test of our own: how many 10 p.m. puck drops can we handle in one week? We'll find out together.
Our prediction
We're fans, so you know where we stand: Bruins win, the streak hits four, and we all go to bed very late and very happy. Let's go, B's! 🐻