Vegas Golden Knights goaltender Laurent Brossoit (39) is shown during the second period of an NHL hockey game against the Calgary Flames at T-Mobile Arena Thursday, Feb. 23, 2023.
Published Thursday, Feb. 23, 2023 | 8:46 p.m.
Updated Thursday, Feb. 23, 2023 | 10:15 p.m.
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Golden Knights Beat Flames, 4-3, in OT
The Vegas Golden Knights beat the Calgary Flames, 4-3, in overtime at T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas Thursday, Feb. 23, 2023.
If Laurent Brossoit was thrilled to stop all those shots in his first start in almost a year on Tuesday, imagine how he felt on Thursday.
Shots came from every angle, dangerous chances galore.
Had the Golden Knights' goalie not made the 17 stops he did in the first, Thursday could have gone the complete opposite direction for Vegas.
But Brossoit, behind a 25-save effort, kept Vegas hanging around long enough to rally from two goals down in the third and complete the comeback 4-3 in overtime over the Calgary Flames at T-Mobile Arena.
The win was important for the Golden Knights (35-18-5) to keep their post-All-Star break run going, winning six of seven and earning a point in each game, as well as maintaining a grip on first place in the Western Conference.
For Brossoit, a man of few words, the smile could not leave his face. It was the goalie's first win in 356 days — March 4, 2022 — and first in the NHL since recovering from offseason hip surgery.
"It feels great," Brossoit said. "This is where you want to be. This is where everyone wants to be."
Brossoit's return to the Golden Knights hasn't come without the organization's own trials. With Logan Thompson week-to-week with a lower-body injury, it was the opportunity needed for the 29-year-old Brossoit to get back to the Vegas starter's net.
Couple that with a minor injury to Adin Hill, and Brossoit has manned the crease for two straight games and has been the Golden Knights' best player.
Brossoit made 37 saves on Tuesday in a 3-2 shootout loss in Chicago. Against a Calgary team on a back-to-back after winning in Arizona 24 hours prior, Brossoit got the Flames' best shot by turning aside 17 of 18 shots in the first period.
The Flames got three power plays in the first period — a near-case of deja vu from the Oct. 18 meeting in Calgary when Vegas committed six penalties in the second period — and only scored once on Brossoit, via a rebound putback from rookie Jakob Pelletier at 13:25.
According to Natural Stat Trick, the Flames had seven high-danger chances and 15 scoring chances in the first 20 minutes. For the Golden Knights to trail by one after that was miraculous.
"It’s nice obviously to get a flurry of shots early. Gets you into it," Brossoit said. "It gave me an opportunity to contribute to the game."
That sustained pressure from Calgary translated early in the second period, and it took just 1:24 into the middle frame for Calgary to extend the lead when Jonathan Huberdeau deked by Brossoit for the 2-0 lead.
Eventually, the Golden Knights turned it around.
Brossoit's workload diminished as the game went on, but Vegas put its own pressure on, starting with a power-play goal from Jack Eichel at 14:27 of the second to end an 0-for-25 drought and cut the lead to 2-1.
Calgary forward Mikael Backlund got a short-side deflection past Brossoit just over two minutes later to restore the two-goal lead.
"I’ve been watching this group all year long. There was never any doubt in my mind we were going to come back tonight," Brossoit said. "Especially in the second period, we started turning it on and getting momentum."
In an attempt to complete their 10th come-from-behind victory of the season, and second by at least two goals, the Golden Knights found a way to break through.
They gave up just one shot on goal from Calgary the entire third period. In turn, the Golden Knights got a goal from Zach Whitecloud six minutes into the final frame, and William Carrier scored on a scramble in front — his 16th goal of the season — to tie it 3-3 with 7:25 remaining.
It was a combination of the Flames running out of gas and the Golden Knights returning to playing their sound defensive structure that has been effective not just during this seven-game point streak; but what made them one of the best teams in the league at the start of the season.
Brossoit did the work to start, and his teammates finished for him. Alex Pietrangelo knocked in a rebound 42 seconds into overtime off a shot from Jonathan Marchessault to complete the rally.
"You’ve got to be happy for him. It’s not easy what he went through in the offseason," Pietrangelo said of Brossoit. "He’s playing good hockey. We’re playing good in front of him, but he’s making some big saves when we need to."
Eichel had a goal and an assist, and Shea Theodore extended his point streak to five games (two goals, six assists) with the primary assist on Eichel's power-play tally.
The strength of schedule has certainly impacted the Golden Knights getting out to this strong start. Days off in-between have also helped matters in terms of reps and repetition.
To say Brossoit has only played well because of facing Chicago and Calgary — two teams out of a playoff spot — is accurate, but it's also a veteran presence providing solid goaltending at the right time.
It's also resulted in good goaltending when the Golden Knights haven't looked their best in front of Brossoit.
"We’ve said it, and I think [Brossoit] knew this going into this year: There was competition for that spot," coach Bruce Cassidy said. "Probably came a little later than he hoped, but here it is."
However long Brossoit stays on the NHL roster, though, he'll cherish it. For as much as he maybe didn't want to be with the Henderson Silver Knights, he views it as the best thing for him while trying to work his way back to form.
Pending on Hill's health, Brossoit will get a chance to make a bigger impression Saturday against the Dallas Stars, who are chasing Vegas for the top spot in the Western Conference.
It was also a month and a half ago that Dallas came to T-Mobile Arena and shut out the Golden Knights, 4-0, in Pete DeBoer's return.
Whatever happens, Brossoit is just happy to be back where he feels he belongs. And this time, he has a chance to prove even more than he thought he did.
"It was a blessing in disguise maybe for me to be down [in Henderson]. Tinker with some things, get healthy and with less of an audience," Brossoit said. "When I came back up here, I felt more ready than I ever have."
Danny Webster can be reached at 702-259-8814 or [email protected]. Follow Danny on Twitter at twitter.com/DannyWebster21.
