In his winding professional journey since 2010, Nashville Predator backup goaltender Carter Hutton has been a Philadelphia Phantom, a Worcester Shark, a Rockford IceHog, a Toledo Walleye, a Chicago Blackhawk, and now a Nashville Predator.

“It’s been a journey for sure,” Hutton said on Tuesday night. “I’ve put a lot of work from back in my [college] days to the minors.”

Determine the NHL roots of the Thunder Bay, Ontario, native and it leads up the road from TD Garden to Lowell, Mass., and Tsongas Arena at the University of Lowell, home of the NCAA’s Hockey East River Hawks.

When Hutton played most of his games at Lowell over four seasons from 2007-2010, the program – a long-time lower-tier finisher in Hockey East with perennial powerhouses like Boston University, Boston College and New Hampshire – began its ascent to the upper level of the NCAA.

“I think when I first went there,” Hutton told Bruins Daily postgame, “we didn’t get many fans and had a pretty bad record. The program almost folded, but we got some good recruits and had a couple good years where we became a dominant program.”

His final two seasons, Lowell posted 19 and 20-win campaigns. His senior year, Hutton went 13-12-2 in 27 games, boasting a healthy 2.04 GAA and .928 save percentage. “I played one game [at TD Garden] in college my junior year; we beat Northeastern in overtime the Hockey East (playoff) semifinal. This is my second game playing in this building.”

Two years after Hutton graduated, the River Hawks made their first NCAA Tournament since 1996 as one of the final 16 teams, going to the second round before bowing out. In 2013 a much longer season as a Frozen Four finalist. The team lost to eventual national champion Yale, 3-2, in the semifinal after falling behind early, 2-0.

Last year’s Northeast Regional in Worcester pitted Lowell against Boston College in the final, and a shot at a second consecutive FF appearance. BC prevailed, 3-1.

“Norm Bazin came in and restructured everything,” Hutton said, “winning Hockey East back-to-back last two years and going to the Frozen Four.”

At the holiday break, Lowell is tied with BU atop the league and ranked No. 9 in the country.

While Hutton now enters his second season as backup to the NHL leader in total wins, Pekka Rinne – a likely 2015 Vezina finalist if not winner come June.

“His overall effort and how he takes care of business,” Hutton said about what impresses him most about Rinne. “He’s a world-class goalie – our MVP all year.”

After signing a two-way free-agent contract in July 2013, Hutton started almost half of the Preds’ schedule last year: 40 games with a 20-11-4 record and a very respectable .910 save percentage and a 2.62 goals-against average. That earned him a two-year, one-way deal last summer.

Tuesday night, Hutton got the call between the pipes against the Bruins, denying a possible pipe-welling rematch between two of the best in the NHL and Finland’s finest in Rinne and Tuukka Rask. Last Tuesday, Rinne prevailed in the 3-2 shootout win against Rask.

It was but Hutton’s second start opportunity in the last 19 games without a victory this season at 0-2-1.

“It’s tougher,” he said about less playing time this year so far. “It’s a lot easier playing a lot. You can get in a rhythm. But this is my job. Pekk’s the workhorse. When I go in I need to give us a chance to win. Tonight didn’t go so well, but it’s been a while since I played, but things went well in the third when I made some big saves. Just hoping to get one to the back of the net.”

That winless slate remains intact, even with the Bruins gift-wrapping a possible Predator win after twice relinquishing first-period leads.

Loui Eriksson and Brad Marchand appeared to extinguish any celebration in Lowell in the second frame, pushing Boston to the 4-2 lead with 10 shots on Hutton, while holding Nashville to but three on Rask. It was the first two-goal lead for the Bruins since December 6 against Phoenix.

The third period should have been a bow-tying frame for Boston.

But not this Christmas. Hutton held firm throughout – stopping two point-blank shots in the waning minutes – after Nashville had pulled to within one at 4-3 when Taylor Beck converted past Rask at 6:48.

“I thought I gave us a chance,” Hutton said. “You don’t want to give up four, but that’s kind of the way the game went tonight.”

Eriksson would play Scrooge with Hutton out for the Preds’ sixth attacker when he hit the open net with 37 ticks remaining, sealing the 5-3 final.

“We made our push, but it’s tough with six periods in two nights,” Hutton said. “These are the games I’m going to play in – the back-to-back.”

About landing in Nashville, Carter?

“I’ve found a good spot here and I like being in Nashville. We have a good squad here; been a good year so far.”

About UMass-Lowell?

“I’m pretty proud to be an alumni.”