McKenna’s Matchup of the Day: Apr. 11 – Alexandar Georgiev vs. Stuart Skinner

Former NHL netminder Mike McKenna provides his Daily Faceoff Starting Goalie Matchup of the Day for Tue. Apr. 11, 2023:

Why I like this matchup:

Colorado and Edmonton are two of the NHL’s hottest teams, and they’re careening towards a matchup in the Stanley Cup playoffs. Georgiev is the likely start for the Avalanche and Skinner is set to patrol the Oilers crease.

What to watch for:

Final tuneup games are always interesting because you never know how a team will respond. But both Colorado and Edmonton have something to play for in the divisional standings. With three games left, Colorado will likely play Georgiev in at least two. Whereas Skinner might only get one more start for Edmonton. The Oilers have two games remaining and sit just two points below the first-place Vegas Golden Knights in the Pacific Division.

I continue to be impressed with how Georgiev has fared in his first full season as an NHL No.1 netminder. Sure, there were several bumps along the road, including an extended period of lackluster play around the New Year. But Georgiev has been consistent lately, having surrendered more than three goals in just one of his past 11 starts. I think Avalanche goalie coach Jussi Parkkila deserves a ton of credit for helping guide Georgiev. The Colorado backstop has a .919 save percentage to go with 38 wins on the campaign.

Skinner’s accession has occurred naturally in Edmonton, and maybe even slower than it should have. I thought last year he should have been given the chance to challenge for the crease, but overripe prospects are never a bad thing, and Ken Holland has made a career out of not rushing players into situations. That long-term approach has paid off with Skinner, who boasts a .912 save percentage in 48 appearances.

For a goaltender that was slotted in as Jack Campbell’s backup for the 2022-23 season, Skinner has performed well beyond expectations. He appeared in his first NHL All-Star game and has taken over the crease. In his past 10 starts, Skinner is undefeated in regulation with a mark of 9-0-1. His calm, predictable game is exactly what Edmonton has spent years searching for. It’s about time they finally developed an in-house solution. Skinner is the first goaltender to be drafted and developed into a full-time NHL goaltender by the Oilers since Devan Dubnyk during the 2009-10 season.

What fantasy owners should do:

Skinner stopped 43 of 46 shots in his only appearance against Colorado this season, an overtime loss. Georgiev is 2-0-0 against Edmonton this year despite allowing seven goals combined. Starting a goalie against Edmonton is always risky, so I wouldn’t automatically start Georgiev. But I would play Skinner. The Avalanche are missing several key players due to injury and I think Edmonton has the stronger lineup for tonight’s game.

Bottom line for Alexandar Georgiev:

Stopping the Oilers’ power play is priority number one.

Bottom line for Stuart Skinner:

This is likely his last dress rehearsal. He needs a strong outing leading up to the Stanley Cup playoffs.