Last year, Frederic Brunet and Michael DiPietro were both playing for the Providence Bruins in the AHL, trying to prove they belonged at the highest level. On Friday night at the Honda Center, Brunet scored his first NHL goal and DiPietro recorded his first NHL win, leading the Boston Bruins to a 4-2 comeback victory over the Anaheim Ducks. Brunet, a 23-year-old rookie defenseman, fired a power-play shot from the point at 3:15 of the second period that beat Anaheim goaltender Lukas Dostal, pulling the Bruins within 2-1. DiPietro, who spent one season in the ECHL and six in the AHL before earning his chance with Boston, made 25 saves in his second start of the season. After the Ducks took a 2-0 lead with goals from Tim Washe and Beckett Sennecke in the final minute of the first period, DiPietro shut the door the rest of the way. Brunet said the moment was especially meaningful because it came alongside DiPietro, whom he described as one of the hardest workers he has played with. Head coach Marco Sturm praised Brunet’s elite footwork and his ability to quarterback the second power-play unit.
