The Vegas Golden Knights came ready to play on Friday night as they hammered the struggling Arizona Coyotes by a final score of 7-1.
Leading the way in this one was Max Pacioretty, who scored two goals in just over 15 minutes of ice time. He wasn’t the only Golden Knight to have a multi-point outing, as Mike Amadio, Evgenii Dadonov, Nicolas Roy, Reilly Smith, and Shea Theodore were all able to record two points as well.
While they all deserve some big credit for the win, one player who’s solid performance didn’t get much recognition was that of backup goaltender Laurent Brossoit. He didn’t seem to mind the lack of attention however, and was much more pleased with the win instead.
“It was great,” Brossoit said postgame. “The boys dominated. They made it easier on me tonight. It’s always nice to get a decisive win like that.”
Brossoit, 28, was signed to a two-year, $4.65 million deal by the Golden Knights after they chose to trade Marc-Andre Fleury. It was expected that Brossoit would play a similar role to the one he played with the Winnipeg Jets, where he was a backup to Connor Hellebuyck and started roughly 20 games per season.
Brossoit has been used just like that early on with the Golden Knights, as through 23 games he has five starts, which translates to 17 over a full 82-game schedule. However, with how he has been playing for his new squad, the team may want to consider getting him in more often.
There is no denying the fact that starting goaltender Robin Lehner has struggled this season. Through his 18 starts, he owns a disappointing 3.08 goals against average (GAA) along with a .909 save percentage (SV%) and a 9-9-0 record. Those numbers are far less impressive than Brossoit’s 2.46 GAA and his .921 SV%. Granted, it is in a much smaller sample size in favorable matchups, but as of right now, Brossoit is giving the Golden Knights a better chance to win games.
Most are still in the mindset that Lehner will soon be able to turn things around and get back to being an elite starting goaltender. However, it is clear as day that he is struggling right now. Perhaps giving Brossoit a few more starts after Friday’s 29-save performance could help benefit both, as Lehner may simply just need a reset. It could go a long way in helping them overcome their early season disappointment, as they currently sit fifth place in the Pacific Division, a position no one expected to see them in.
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