Patrick WilliamsTheAHL.com Features Writer
The Providence Bruins' goaltending profile has been pretty consistent for a long time, then and now.
Over the past three decades, Providence has been home to rising Bruins stars such as John Graham, Andrew Raycroft, Tim Thomas, Tuca Rask and Dan Vladar.
these days Brandon Busey has become one of the best early-season stories in the NHL. Bussey, now with the Carolina Hurricanes, became the fastest player in NHL history to reach 10 wins. But Busey spent parts of four seasons with the Bruins before ultimately joining Carolina this season.
still in providence Michael DiPietroWon the Aldege “Baz” Bastien Memorial Award as the AHL's most outstanding goaltender last season.
Joining DiPietro this season are Simon Zajisekis the latest goaltending prospect from Providence, where the Bruins are off to a 19-5-1-0 start.
“I think the first thing is they're great for each other,” head coach Ryan Mognell explain. “Michael does a great job coaching.”
The Boston Bruins have long shown a knack for finding and securing overlooked talent. Last season, Zagicek played for the Czech club HC Litvinov and achieved a record of 15 wins, 13 draws and 0 losses in 29 games, with an average of 2.12 goals per game and a league-high 0.930 save percentage.
Boston’s Scouting Staff – Goalie Development Coach Mike Dunham – Targeted 24-year-old Zagicek to bolster the organization’s goal-scoring depth. It's a low-risk arrangement for both parties – a one-year, entry-level deal.
The Bruins have a long history of successful Czech talent at every position, especially star players David Cressey and David Pastrnak. Signing with Boston allows Zagicek to complete what has been a challenging overseas move and will provide him with a solid foundation for the next phase of his career.
“It's always been a dream of mine to come to the United States,” Zagicek explained, “and I'm excited to be here with the Bruins.”
Zagicek's play continues to validate Boston's opinion of him, with Mugner already getting the ball to his two goalies with ease. DiPietro is 10-4-0 with a 1.97 GAA and .933 save percentage in 15 games; Zagicek is 9-1-1 with a 2.02 GAA and .932 save percentage. The two hit it off in the first few months of working together.
Over the weekend, Zagicek started Friday night in Hershey and made 29 saves in the Bears' 4-1 victory. One night later, it was DiPietro's turn against Wilkes-Barre/Scranton, and he handled the first 14 shots he faced in the first period. But at 12 minutes and 29 seconds into the game, DiPietro withdrew due to undisclosed issues. The Bruins revived Zagicek, who had his best performance of the season so far, saving 34 of 36 shots to help Providence lose 2-1 in overtime, earning a point despite trailing 50-25.
DiPietro's condition remains unclear, and Luke Cavallin Subpoenaed by the Maine ECHL. But there's no doubt the team is happy to hand over the reins to Zajicek. This is a league that works across the board — for the team, for Providence, for the two goalies.
“I feel good,” Zagicek said. “We won and the boys helped me a lot.”
“He’s outstanding,” Mouginer said of Providence’s latest goalie discovery.
