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Hutch gets the Bruins
Winnipeg backup Michael Hutchinson faces the team that drafted him on Friday -- he’ll get the start when the Jets take on the Bruins at TD Garden.
“He’s played well enough on the shorter and shorter frequency levels,” Jets head coach Paul Maurice said, per the Free Press. He’s earned the right to go back into the game… and not just off his last game, but his body of work for the whole season.”
Hutchinson, Boston’s third-round pick at the 2008 NHL Entry Draft, has played very well this season, going 4-1-1 with a 1.50 GAA and .947 save percentage. In his last outing, a 4-2 win over Columbus on Tuesday, he stopped 32 of 34 shots and was named the game’s second star.
The decision to start Hutchinson also comes at a time when Winnipeg’s No. 1, Ondrej Pavelec, is struggling a bit. Pavelec is 1-4-1 in his last six starts, though he did win his last one -- a 2-1 win over Buffalo on Wednesday in which he stopped 19 shots.
No word on who’ll start for Boston tonight.
Elsewhere...
‘Hawks at Ducks: Corey Crawford for Chicago, no word on an Anaheim starter.
Isles at Caps: Nothing from either team.
Canucks at Jackets: Ryan Miller vs. Sergei Bobrovsky
‘Canes at Pens: Cam Ward vs. Marc-Andre Fleury
Red Wings at Devils: Petr Mrazek vs. Cory Schneider
Habs at Sabres: Carey Price vs. Jhonas Enroth
Sens at Panthers: Craig Anderson vs. Al Montoya
Oilers at Blues: Jake Allen for St. Louis, Ben Scrivens likely for Edmonton.
Wild at Stars: Darcy Kuemper for Minnesota, Kari Lehtonen likely for Dallas.