McKenna’s Matchup of the Day: Apr. 12 – Ilya Sorokin vs. Samuel Montembeault
Former NHL netminder Mike McKenna provides his Daily Faceoff Starting Goalie Matchup of the Day for Wed. Apr. 12, 2023:
Why I like this matchup:
All eyes are on Islanders goaltender Ilya Sorokin, who can help his team clinch a Stanley Cup playoff berth tonight against Montreal. New York only needs one point to knock the Pittsburgh Playoffs out of contention and lock in the field of 16 NHL teams that will compete for hockey’s top prize. It’s the last game of the season for the Islanders. If New York doesn’t clinch tonight, their postseason fate lies in Pittsburghs’ hands.
What to watch for:
There’s no way around it: Sorokin has to have a better start tonight than he did against the Washington Capitals on Monday. The Islanders allowed two goals in the first 1:03 of that game and were down 3-0 well before the end of the first period. Sorokin needs a strong start against Montreal, especially considering the fragility of the Canadiens.
Sorokin has a .925 save percentage in 61 appearances. He’s allowed an average of just 2.35 goals per game. Yet he’s only won 30 times this season. It goes to show how important he’s been to the Islanders. The team would be a handful if New York could ever find consistent scoring.
The 2022-23 season has been the best of Montembeault’s career. He’s started more games this season (37) than ever, and his save percentage (.904) is north of 90 percent for the first time. Playing behind a youthful Canadiens defense hasn’t been easy for Montembeault, but there has been tangible growth to the 26-year-old’s game.
Montembeault allowed seven goals to the Maple Leafs in his last start, and with the regular season coming to a close in the next few days, a strong finish to the season would be welcomed.
What fantasy owners should do:
Bet on Sorokin. With all due respect to the Bruins’ Linus Ullmark, Sorokin has been arguably the NHL’s most valuable goaltender this season. With Montembeault, I would only start him if your team needs saves.
Bottom line for Ilya Sorokin:
Tonight is the type of game where legends are made.
Bottom line for Samuel Montembeault:
It might be his last start of the year: finish the season on a high note.