Battle in crease could decide Knights-Jets playoff series

As of Saturday, Connor Hellebuyck had not sent his former goalie partner Laurent Brossoit a text before the two squared off in a Stanley Cup first-round playoff series.

But the Winnipeg Jets netminder had an idea of what it would say if he did.

“I might send him one telling him to look out,” Hellebuyck said with a smile. “Because I’m coming for him.”

The Golden Knights’ Brossoit didn’t mince words, either. He said the two had a great relationship as a tandem for three years in Winnipeg. He joked that he taught Hellebuyck “everything he knows” during the latter’s 2019-20 Vezina Trophy-winning season. That’s going to be put aside the next two weeks.

“It’ll be fun seeing him on the other end,” said Brossoit, grinning. “It’ll be that much sweeter when we win.”

The two good friends will likely reminiscence about this series for years to come. But it the heat of battle, that’s not what they’re focused on.

Hellebuyck is trying to further his reputation as one of the NHL’s best goaltenders by leading his team to an upset of the top-seeded Knights. Brossoit, after a wild roller coaster of a season, is eager to prove he belongs on the playoff stage.

The two might not be texting, but they will play a large role in which team advances. Hellebuyck won the first bout by making 16 saves in the Jets’ 5-1 Game 1 victory Tuesday at T-Mobile Arena.

“Hellebuyck, he’s really Winnipeg’s only chance,” said NHL Network analyst Devan Dubnyk, who won 253 games during a 15-year career. “But he’s capable of stealing a series for sure.”

Consistent excellence

One thing jumped out at Knights center Jack Eichel when the matchup against Winnipeg was determined. They needed to find a way to make Hellebuyck’s life uncomfortable.

“He’s one of the best goalies in the world,” Eichel said. “He can definitely be an X-factor.”

Getting Hellebuyck off his game is easier said than done. What sets the 29-year-old apart isn’t just the performances he’s capable of. It’s that they come game after game, night after night.

Hellebuyck led all goaltenders in appearances this season with 64. It’s his fourth time finishing first in the past six seasons. He’s also led the NHL in saves four times and finished in the top five of the Vezina voting twice outside of the year he won it.

What stands out to Dubnyk is the poise Hellebuyck brings to the net. He plays deep in his crease, utilizing a more controlled style that helps him conserve energy. He still stops the majority of shots and limits second chances with impeccable rebound control.

“He’s so consistent,” Dubnyk said. “He’s a calming influence on that team.”

That doesn’t make Hellebuyck unbeatable.

The Knights have gotten to him before, lighting him up for five goals in a 6-5 win in Winnipeg on Dec. 13. They also defeated him and the Jets in the 2018 Western Conference Final. Hellebuyck gave up 13 goals on 139 shots in the series for a .906 save percentage.

“Everyone talks about experience,” Hellebuyck said. “I have it now; we can say that. I don’t think I’m looking back at that year and saying I need to do anything differently. I’m just going to take what we have now and continue to work on my details that are going to give me the best chance to be the best me.”

Tantalizing talent

Brossoit’s warmup routine is agonizing to watch.

The 30-year-old can stretch his legs perfectly out to his sides so that his skate blades are parallel to the ice, like a gymnast wearing hockey pads. It’s an incredible feat of athleticism. It also serves as a reminder: Brossoit, despite fighting for years for more NHL opportunities, can do things others simply can’t.

“He’s a physical freak,” said Dubnyk, who has trained with Brossoit. “The stuff he’s able to do strengthwise and flexibilitywise with his body is crazy.”

Brossoit has had a hard time establishing himself because of injuries. It didn’t help that he spent three seasons behind one of the NHL’s busiest goalies. One of the reasons Brossoit signed a two-year deal with the Knights in July 2021 was he wanted more of a chance to play after getting only 45 starts as Hellebuyck’s understudy.

Brossoit admitted what has happened since “wasn’t exactly how I had written it up.” His first Knights season ended in March 2022 because of injuries, leading to an offseason hip surgery to fix an issue that had plagued him since junior hockey.

The recovery process was trying. Brossoit wasn’t ready for the start of training camp in September. When he was sent on a conditioning loan to Henderson in November, it went poorly and the Knights placed him on waivers.

No one picked him up. Of all the fortuitous twists in the Knights’ Pacific Division-winning campaign, it might end up being the most impactful.

Rather than sulk, Brossoit rebuilt his game in the American Hockey League while drawing rave reviews from the Silver Knights’ staff for his professionalism. He was ready when his next opportunity came.

After getting called back up in February, Brossoit went 7-0-3 with a .927 save percentage to earn the No. 1 job to start the playoffs. He showed what he’s capable of when healthy.

“I don’t think anyone’s surprised by it,” left wing Reilly Smith said. “He’s a battler, and we expect a lot out of him.”

Huge chance

The Knights now need Brossoit to get off the mat again.

He gave up four goals on 30 shots in the first playoff start of his career Tuesday. He lost in regulation for the first time all season.

Brossoit is capable of being better. His patient approach has proven a perfect fit with coach Bruce Cassidy’s zone system in which shots come from predictable places on the perimeter of the defensive zone. Brossoit is also more in control of his movements when he needs to stretch for a jaw-dropping save after his surgery.

“He’s been playing unreal,” defenseman Nic Hague said.

Brossoit has to show he can reach that same level in the postseason. And that he can hold up if the Knights rebound from their Game 1 setback to go on a deep run. He’s never made more than 21 starts in a season. Tampa Bay needed 22 games once the first round started to win the 2020 Stanley Cup and 23 to repeat the following year.

It’s the largest opportunity of the pending unrestricted free agent’s career. The fact it comes against a goaltender and opponent he knows well is secondary to that.

Brossoit waited a long time for this large of a role. He’s worked his way back up from the minors to grab it. He wants to seize the moment, even if it means taking down his friend in the other crease.

“The longer the journey, the sweeter the fruit, right?” Brossoit said. “(I’m) grateful for all the failures I had in the past to get to here.”

Contact Ben Gotz at bgotz@reviewjournal.com. Follow @BenSGotz on Twitter.