Ducks goalie John Gibson expected to miss six weeks with groin injury

What was thought to be a temporary setback for John Gibson turned out to be something more enduring for the Ducks, who learned Tuesday that the rookie goaltender is expected to miss six weeks with a groin injury.

“We had no idea. At first, I thought he just tweaked [it]. Evidently it’s worse than we figured,” Ducks Coach Bruce Boudreau said following Tuesday’s practice at Honda Center.

Gibson, 21, suffered the injury in pre-game warmups Sunday in Colorado, requiring Jason LaBarbera to start following a cross-country flight from the minor league affiliate in Norfolk, Va. He stopped 16 of 18 shots and faced only seven shots after the first period.

A six-week absence would cost Gibson 19 games, including next week’s home-and-home series against the defending Stanley Cup champion Kings, a Nov. 28 home rematch against Chicago, and a road game at San Jose the next night. His scheduled return would come during a five-game Canadian trip in December.

Gibson was off to a 2-2 start, including a shutout last week in Chicago.

“He was ready … he’s done great,” Boudreau said. “We have to suck it up, do what we have to do. We’ve lived through absences … we’ll live through this.”

In the meantime, goalie Frederik Andersen (7-1) — who was bothered by leg tightness over the weekend and was unable to play Sunday — practiced Tuesday and was deemed “day-to-day” by the Ducks.

Boudreau said Andersen is “ready,” and is an “option” to start Wednesday against the visiting New York Islanders, as is LaBarbera.

“I felt better than this weekend … want to make sure everything is like we want it to be,” Andersen said.

Andersen said he’s up to the challenge of a rigorous playing schedule. He won six consecutive starts last month.

“I can do that again, and once I get into that good rhythm I can carry that load even better. I look forward to that challenge,” Andersen said.

To avoid a repeat of Sunday, when goalie coach Dwayne Roloson took a spot on the bench as LaBarbera’s backup, the Ducks recalled goaltender Igor Bobkov from Norfolk on Tuesday.

“I turn on the TV, knew Gibson was supposed to be playing, but saw ‘Barbs’ playing, with ‘Rollie’ on the bench, and knew something happened,” Bobkov said about Sunday’s game. “Kept my phone close.”

The Ducks (10-3) lead the NHL in points and have allowed two goals or fewer in 10 of their past 12 games, which is impressive considering they also lost defenseman Ben Lovejoy for six to eight weeks with a broken finger suffered on October 26.

“More adversity, but we have a group here that’s pretty deep,” Ducks defenseman Cam Fowler said.

WEDNESDAY

VS. N.Y. ISLANDERS

When: 7:30.

On the air: TV: FS West; Radio: 830.

Etc.: Center Brock Nelson has six goals and 12 points for the Islanders (6-5). New York center John Tavares and forward Kyle Okposo have eight assists apiece. Boudreau said Ducks defenseman Bryan Allen (lower-body injury) should return to action this week after playing with Norfolk during the weekend.

lance.pugmire@latimes.com