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G28 Oilers vs Flyers: Can Brossoit Answer Critics? |
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The Oilers have had a few days off to collect themselves after a frightening breakdown in the 3rd period of their last match. They came away with the win, but everyone is still second guessing Laurent Brossoit’s suitability in net.
That’s going to happen when you have an .872 save percentage in the season and an .896 save percentage in your short NHL career. Laurent Brossoit appeared in 8 games last season and appeared pretty competent. In the 8 games he’s played this season it has been the exact opposite.
Brossoit is just 24 years old and capable of righting the ship, so to speak, but the question is whether the club can allow him to do that in the NHL or whether he belongs in the AHL. There’s no question that he’s going to get minutes while Talbot is hurt and the only other option is Ellis. At least, that’s the way it looks for now. However, this is a guy who hasn’t played that many AHL games.
The Oiler backup, acquired in the Ladislav Smid trade, has appeared in just 115 AHL games over 4 seasons. Last year he played in just 29 games total and this season it’s 8. Frankly, if we’re talking about his development then the real conversation is about whether it’s happening at all. The path to the NHL is a little different for each goalie, but some quality goaltenders have played significant minutes in that league.
Schneider 7935 over 3 seasons
Holtby 7711 over 4 seasons
Crawford 14,436 over 5 seasons
Brossoit 6555 mins over 4 season
There are others who barely spent any time in the AHL at all, but they came to the NHL and knocked it out of the park early. That’s not the case with Brossoit, but it doesn’t mean another 2000 minutes in the AHL can’t help him.
I’m not advocating that the Oilers give up on this player, but if we’re talking about a single game (tonight) being the thing that tells us what we want to know about this goalie then I think we’re missing the point. We know a lot about Brossoit, like that he isn’t stopping pucks and hasn’t spent that much time in the AHL or playing hockey at all for the last two seasons.
Goalies are a long game sometimes and there’s nothing wrong with waiting a little bit longer for a guy like Brossoit.
LINEUP
Early word is that the lineup remains untouched from the last game. Davidson and Walker both sit.
Lucic McDavid Puljujarvi
Maroon RNH Cammalleri
Caggiula Draisaitl Strome
Khaira Letestu Kassian
Klefbom Benning
Nurse Russell
Auvitu Gryba
Brossoit
OILERS KEYS TO THE GAME
1) McWeightLoss. So Connor McDavid has been hit hard again by some kind of 24 hour flu after battling a different illness not that long ago. In total he’s lost somewhere from 7 to 11 pounds during this period. For a professional athlete, cutting that much weight is an incredible body change in a short period. In the past couple games he looked like he was getting his energy back, but another bout of illness might drain him of that energy again. This game might require his linemates to do the heavy lifting. Lucic and Puljujarvi have been playing pretty well recently, so we’ll see what state McDavid is in.
2) Cowboy. It goes without saying that the coaching staff and players are rallying around Kris Russell, who is praised every night on broadcasts and has many glowing articles written about him in local newspapers and national outlets alike. With such a barrage of positive press it’s easy to see why the team is so protective of him. In the last game he was on the ice for 3 straight goals against in the 3rd, including a blown tire to create a 2v1. After taking no heat for it by the coach, the media, or his teammates, we wonder how well he can bounce back. The pressure has never been lighter. How can he cope?
3) Top Heavy. The Flyers top line stands out like a sore thumb, but in the best way possible. The trio of Couturier, Giroux, and Voracek are all a point per game or better. As someone who believed that Couturier was going to be a beast in the NHL on draft day, it’s nice to see the kid finally tap into that offensive potential. He leads the Flyers with 14 goals this season. His previous career high was 15. He is set to demolish his career high in goals and points. That line is dangerous at even strength, on the PP, and they dominate possession too. The Oiler pair that gets matched against them is going to have their hands full tonight.
Puck drops tonight at 7:30PM Mountain Time on Sportsnet One. Game On!
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Edmonton Oilers Blogger • 
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