McKenna’s Matchup of the Day: Mar. 8 – Jake Oettinger vs. Juuse Saros

Former NHL netminder Mike McKenna provides his Daily Faceoff Starting Goalie Matchup of the Day for Tue. Mar. 8, 2022:

Why I like this matchup:

The Dallas Stars and Nashville Predators have nearly identical records. Both teams are fighting for a spot in the Stanley Cup Playoffs – and their goalies have played huge roles. Juuse Saros has been phenomenal all season, while Jake Oettinger is 8-2-1 since Feb. 1 and has taken over the crease in The Big D.

What to watch for:

I think Oettinger plays like a hybrid of Andrei Vasilevskiy and Ben Bishop: big and rangy yet in control. Very rarely is the 6-foot-5 netminder reaching or overplaying pucks outside his posts. That attention to detail has resulted in consistency: only once this season has Oettinger allowed more than four goals against. He’s 19-6-1 in 26 starts and was recently named the NHL’s third star for the week ending Feb. 20.

If you have a young goaltender in your household, this game should be mandatory viewing, because Saros is one of the best goalie skaters on the planet. Watch his edgework and how well he rotates. Saros is powerful enough to arrive early for most shots, which allows him to track the puck as well as any NHL goaltender.

Through January, Saros was neck-and-neck battling with Igor Shesterkin of the New York Rangers for the Vezina trophy. But despite sporting a .923 save percentage on the season, Saros has gone 3-6-0 since Feb. 1.

What fantasy owners should do:

Oettinger is probably due for a slight regression, but when a goalie is as hot as the 23-year old from Minnesota, fantasy owners should start him. The Predators – including Saros – have hit a rough patch lately. But Oettinger and Saros are two of the best goalies in the NHL. If your team owns them, play them.

Bottom line for Jake Oettinger:

Be ready for quick puck movement: the Predators have creative forwards and an active D-corps led by perennial NHL all-star Roman Josi.

Bottom line for Juuse Saros:

Remain agile against Dallas’ rush game and be prepared to find sightlines around Stars right winger Joe Pavelski. He’ll be parked at the top of the crease.

Note: Saros likely but not 100 percent confirmed to start at press time. Be sure to check the Daily Faceoff Starting Goalies page for updates.