Troy Grosenick's NHL career was so short he could not even be classified as a journeyman. But the Los Angeles goaltender is the man of the hour after he stepped into his first NHL game in more than six years and led the Kings past Anaheim 5-1 on Wednesday.
Grosenick might not get an encore against one of the best offensive teams in the league, but he certainly will serve as inspiration when Los Angeles visits the Colorado Avalanche on Friday night.
Grosenick, who was starting in an NHL game for just the third time ever, made 33 saves in a 5-1 win over the Ducks in what was a last-minute start. The Kings' top goaltender, Jonathan Quick, is dealing with an upper-body injury and his backup, Cal Petersen, was a late scratch and is now in COVID-19 health and safety protocol.
That left Grosenick, whose last start came for San Jose in November of 2014, as the de facto starter, and he came through.
"Finding out late, honestly, I don't think it really matters too much for me," Grosenick after the win. "It's the same thing. Take the next shot as it comes. If you're prepared for anything, things don't take you by surprise as much."
Grosenick was assigned to the taxi squad after practice on Thursday. Quick did not practice but is considered day-to-day, which means he could be in net for Los Angeles. If he does play, he will face an Avalanche team that outshot the Coyotes 81-28 in two games but needed overtime on Wednesday night to squeak out a 2-1 win and earn a split.
Not even the return of Nathan MacKinnon helped against Arizona goaltender Antti Raanta, and now Colorado will try to keep up the shot totals in two games against Los Angeles.
MacKinnon's return after missing three games reduced the number of players on the injured list, but several still remain. J.T. Compher, Bo Byram, Conor Timmins and Dennis Gilbert took part in the optional practice while Cale Makar sat out. None of the players are available for Friday's game, coach Jared Bednar said after practice.
Defenseman Erik Johnson and goaltender Pavel Francouz remain on the long-term injured list.
Getting MacKinnon back was important for Colorado, which is four games into a nine-game homestand. MacKinnon had 10 shots on goal Wednesday, just four fewer than the Coyotes had as a team all game. His dynamic playmaking ability opens things up for the team.
"He just gives you that spark," Bednar said of MacKinnon. "He's got a pretty good mindset right now, and he continues to drive plays for him and his linemates."
MacKinnon logged 24 minutes, 44 seconds in his first game in a week, but it was his linemate, Gabriel Landeskog, who got the winner in overtime.
"He's a big part of our offense and a big part of everything we do out there," Landeskog said of MacKinnon. "He's a threat every time he's on the ice. It was a big boost for us coming in as a team. I thought he had a great game; he was dominating every time he was on the ice. It's good to have him back."
--Field Level Media