DiPietro Posts First NHL Shutout, Honors Mom in 6-0 Bruins Win

BOSTON –– The entire Boston Bruins team spilled off the bench and darted toward Michael DiPietro in net, who just earned his first NHL shutout with a 28-save showing against the Nashville Predators.

There was one specific person, though, who was on DiPietro’s mind as the team celebrated the 6-0 win around him on Hockey Fights Cancer night at TD Garden.

​It was his mom, Becky, who passed away from cancer when DiPietro was five years old.

“I was thinking about her all day. Her death anniversary is next week, and her birthday is the week after. So, it was a heavy day today,” he said. “I just wanted to get the win today for her and also for the team. This one, I think, meant a little bit more.”

The 27-year-old goaltender was coming off his first NHL win on Friday in Anaheim, and he followed it up with an even more memorable performance on home ice. DiPietro knew how much it would mean to his dad, too.

“I think when you’re that young, and you lose a parent, the first thing my dad said was, ‘He’s not going to have that be an excuse,’” DiPietro said. “He doesn’t want my life – to make excuses, nor would she want that.”​

DiPietro has stuck to that throughout his career, which has included six seasons in the AHL and one in the ECHL before making the B’s main club out of training camp in September. He was sharp from puck drop on Thursday, and backstopped Boston to its sixth win in the last seven games.

“What I liked about most, other than Mikey’s shutout, is that we came out with energy,” head coach Marco Sturm said. “We talked about it in the morning; we addressed it – after a big road trip, it’s not always easy. But I thought it was one of the best pregame skates we had all year. And that’s exactly the way we skated.”

Casey Mittelstadt gave the Bruins a quick lead at 3:49 of the first period with his third goal of the season. Charlie McAvoy defended the puck at the B’s blue line and poked it over to David Pastrnak, who broke into the zone and swung it to Mittelstadt on the left side for the snapshot and 1-0 scoreline.

McAvoy picked up his second assist of the period while Boston was on the power play. The defenseman, stationed at the point, got the puck from Pavel Zacha and rocketed it on net, where Elias Lindholm tipped it in to make it 2-0 at 16:38. It was Lindholm’s fourth goal of the season, and second on the PP.

Pastrnak extended the gap with a parallel play in the middle frame. McAvoy once again launched the puck on net, and it was Pastrnak this time who got a stick on it in front of the Predators’ crease at 9:46 for the 3-0 advantage. It was McAvoy’s third helper of the night.

“It’s nice. You always want to do that. For me, I think it always goes back to I think I can control the game when I’m doing my thing. Tonight really felt like one of those nights – you’re clean breaking pucks out, you can really just put your footprint all over the game,” McAvoy said. “I think we’re just a group of guys that are getting to know each other well and enjoying spending time and playing together. We’re playing the right way.”​

The Bruins went into the third period up 4-0 thanks to a late tally from JJ Peterka. Pastrnak unleashed a slap pass, which Peterka connected with while crashing the net. He tapped it past goalie Justus Annunen on his second attempt at 17:21 for his fourth of the season.

“We still want more, but it’s definitely improving with every game,” Pastrnak said of the first line. “Pretty sure we keep getting better. We had already two out of three games where we were really good as a line; I think we were creating a lot. Just keep working and communicating for better chemistry.”

Mark Kastelic added one on with a backhand in close at 6:50 of the third to make it 5-0. Matt Poitras extended his point streak to five games with the primary assist on the play. Pastrnak’s second goal – and fourth point – of the night brought the contest to its final 6-0 standing. McAvoy logged his fourth assist.

As the clock wound down, DiPietro could not help but imagine what an NHL shutout would feel like. The buzzer could not come quick enough.​

“It starts creeping in your head. You’re on an island out there for a long time, so a bunch of thoughts come into your head,” he said. “So I think just kind of acknowledging it, moving on from it and just trying to stay as present as possible.”​

It, seemingly, worked. The locker room was quiet as DiPietro walked in following his postgame media responsibilities. Seconds later, every Bruin burst out in cheers, showering their goalie with water and hugs.

“It was great. He got the water shower. It was just really cool to watch,” Sturm said. “Just how the guys celebrated his shutout, win and performance all the way around. He definitely deserved it.”

DiPietro settled into the reality of what he had just accomplished. It was covered in joy, and also an appreciation for what it took to get to this moment. What he has been through, and how it informs who he wants to be – on and off the ice.

“My last memory of her was her coming to the rink when she was really sick. It was my first time playing in tournaments, and she was just really sick and telling everybody, ‘Don’t come up, I just want to watch my son for a few minutes.' It was hard to move and get out of bed. But for her to do that for me – it’s a lasting memory,” DiPietro said. “I think that’s how hockey is so important for me and my family and my dad especially. He’s my best friend, and for him to support me the way he did as a single dad for a while before meeting my stepmom – who is really my mom – means a lot to me personally. I just want to go through my life trying to do the right thing and leave a good legacy for her.”