According to Kevin Woodley (h/t Daily Faceoff), Laurent Brossoit will start against the Vancouver Canucks on Tuesday, Nov. 3.
It is worth remembering that Brossoit returned last season after missing nearly two years due to injury. Since then, the 33-year-old goaltender has spent most of his time in the AHL while looking for an opportunity to return to the NHL with the Ducks.
“In his only game this season, Brossoit saved 20 of 23 shots (.870 SV%) in a 6-3 win over the Ottawa Senators. The Ducks enter Tuesday’s game as -153 road favorites against a Vancouver Canucks team that has scored two or fewer goals in four of their last five (1-4-0),” the cited outlet added.
Laurent Brossoit Confirmed to Start for Ducks vs. Canucks
This decision has generated a mixture of hope and caution among Anaheim fans. The Ducks have struggled defensively this season, while starting goaltenders Lukas Dostal and Ville Husso have both had difficulties maintaining a high level of play.
In that regard, Brossoit’s return is seen as a potentially much-needed opportunity to stabilize the goaltending situation and perhaps serve as a wake-up call for the rest of the roster.
However, that brings us back to the main concern. Brossoit has missed nearly two years due to injuries and has spent most of his time in the American Hockey League. Naturally, this creates some uncertainty over whether he can consistently return to an elite level.
The recent victory over the Ottawa Senators was encouraging, but expectations remain high for Brossoit’s performance against the Canucks. We’ll have to wait and see.
As mentioned, the Ducks are coming off a 6-3 victory over Ottawa on Sunday, Nov. 1. Before that, however, they had suffered two consecutive defeats, falling 7-6 to the Buffalo Sabres on Oct. 29 and 6-5 to the Canucks on Oct. 27.
The Ducks have a busy week ahead after facing Vancouver, as they will quickly return to action two days later against the Edmonton Oilers on Nov. 5 at Rogers Place in Edmonton. They will then continue their road trip the following day, facing the Calgary Flames on Nov. 6 at Scotiabank Saddledome in Calgary.
Anaheim will return home to the Honda Center on Sunday, Nov. 8, to take on the Pittsburgh Penguins. They will then host the Nashville Predators at the same venue on Nov. 11.
The Ducks currently sit sixth in the Pacific Division of the Western Conference with 13 points through 14 games. They have six wins, seven losses, and one overtime loss, with 49 goals scored and 53 allowed for a minus-4 goal differential.
Ducks Handed Start Confirmation Before Canucks Game