Anton Khudobin wasn’t perfect for the Boston Bruins on Saturday. But he was close, turning aside 35 of 36 shots faced against the Chicago Blackhawks.
Only Patrick Sharp was able to solve the Bruins’ netminder, scoring late in the third period as Chicago recorded a 1-0 win.
Still, that’s two very good performances in the preseason for Khudobin, who also stopped 20 of 22 shots against Detroit, and they come at a time when the Bruins are facing a logjam in net with Malcolm Subban also looking to earn a spot as the back-up behind Tuukka Rask.
“Dobby was very good. The shot that beat him was an excellent shot by Sharp - he scores from there a lot,” said Bruins coach Bruce Cassidy. “He was very good and I’m sure he’d be happy with his game for the most part. There’s always things you can clean up, but two solid efforts in the preseason for Dobby. That bodes well for our season. If his game’s on, that’s gonna help us a lot.”
A first-round pick of the Bruins in 2012, Subban entered training camp with the belief that he could play at the NHL level. He has two games experience with Boston, but has spent the vast majority of his professional career developing his game in the American Hockey League. That said, he has also been sharp when he’s had his opportunity during this preseason.
Now 23 years old, Subban does, according to reports, require waivers if the Bruins decide to send him down to Providence, which adds to the difficulty of any impending decision, as the Bruins look to improve at the back-up position for this season.
“Look, he requires waivers,” general manager Don Sweeney told the Boston Herald. “We’re trying to manage it, as other teams are at this point, and we have other players that require waivers and we’re just trying to field the best team we possibly can and asset management is a part of it.”
Khudobin, now 31 years old, played 16 times for Boston last season, posting a .904 save percentage.