They say you only get one chance to make a good first impression.

New Winnipeg Jets goaltender Laurent Brossoit took that old saying to heart,
posting a sparkling 39-save performance in the Jets preseason-opening 2-1 win
against the Minnesota Wild Monday night. While one preseason victory does not a
 backup battle win, he nonetheless made a strong opening statement on why he
should be the man to back up Connor Hellebuyck with his performance.Brossoit
Steady and Sturdy in the Crease

If anyone was keeping a checklist of assets they wanted Brossoit to display,
you can bet they';d ticked off every box by the time the last second ticked off
 the clock.Laurent Brossoit displayed poise, solid positioning, and calmness in
 his Jets'; debut. (James Carey Lauder-USA TODAY Sports)

The 25-year-old was cool as Portage and Main in mid-January and looked like a
veteran of a number of NHL seasons rather than a relative neophyte of only 28
career games.

Brossoit showed patience and poise throughout the game and at no point looked
panicky despite facing a number of excellent scoring chances. The only goal he
allowed on the night - to former Jet Matt Hendricks early in the third period -
 came as the result of some muddled own-end play by defencemen Ben Chiarot and
Sami Niku, who were out along with Jack Roslovic, Mathieu Perreault, and
Kristian Vesalainen. Despite being in his first game action with a new
organization, he didn';t scramble around or look overly amped up.

😄😄😄 #MINvsWPG #GoJetsGo pic.twitter.com/l1fISWkqkJ

- Winnipeg Jets (@NHLJets) September 18, 2018

Instead, he used on his 6-foot-3, 200-pound frame to his advantage. His
movements were economical and he didn';t overcommit to shots or passes. He was
 positionally sound and looked splendid down in the butterfly when chances came
 from in close, especially during the first period when the Wild peppered him
with 14 shots. Because he was so quiet in the net, he made a number of
difficult saves look fairly routine.

His overall play was rather akin to the play style Connor Hellebuyck';s become
so well-known for. In fact, Winnipeg Free Press sportswriter Mike McIntyre
reported in his postgame recap the two goalies share the same trainer.Brossoit
Stepped up When Needed

Despite making most of his saves look routine, Brossoit also challenged when
necessary. He made key saves that bailed out the defensive miscues that are par
 for the course when a team is experimenting with young players and new line
combos.

He denied Justin Kloos on a pair of breakaways - including one that came after
Sami Niku got caught too deep in the offensive zone - and also made a great pad
 save on Jordan Greenway off the rush. His best save, however,  came when he
flashed the leather and robbed Ryan Murphy';s sizzling slap shot from the
circles midway through the third period. It kept the game tied 1-1 and ignited
a fairly placid preseason crowd.

.@LBrossoit comes up big with the glove. pic.twitter.com/OR2a6k1azO

- NHL GIFs (@NHLGIFs) September 18, 2018

"Any time you come into unfamiliar territory, you want to make a good first
impression to instil a bit of confidence within yourself and with the team as
you try to facilitate unity," Brossoit told reporters after the game.

"I was pretty nervous to start," he admitted, but continued on to say that
facing early shots allowed him to get into a rhythm and feeling comfortable
within "two or three minutes."Brossoit';s Performance Sets the Bar High for
Comrie

Brossoit opened with a very strong early bid. If Eric Comrie wants to keep
pace in the race, he';ll have to dig deep into his pockets.Brossoit';s opening
game performance has set the standard high. If Eric Comrie wants to keep pace
in the backup race, he will have to be very sharp. (Dennis Wierzbicki-USA TODAY
 Sports)

Comrie will have to play better - not just as good - if he wants to begin the
season as the number-two net minder. If Brossoit is sent down to the Manitoba
Moose, he has to clear waivers, while Comrie is waiver exempt.

Comrie will likely get the start against the Edmonton Oilers on Thursday and
the pressure will be on him to replicate Brossoit';s no-panic play style  -
something the 23-year-old hasn';t done in his four career NHL games. Comrie
can';t afford to miss this opportunity and competition usually begets quality.
We';ll see soon enough if this is the case.

If Comrie doesn';t rise to the task and Brossoit puts in another performance
similar to his debut in his next crack at the crease, the battle of the backups
 could be over sooner than many thought.

The post Brossoit Impressive in Jets Debut appeared first on The Hockey
Writers.

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