McKenna’s Matchup of the Day: Apr. 24 – Logan Thompson vs. James Reimer

Former NHL netminder Mike McKenna provides his Daily Faceoff Starting Goalie Matchup of the Day for Sun. Apr 24, 2022:

Why I like this matchup:

For all the drama surrounding the crease in Vegas, Logan Thompson has one job: win. The Golden Knights have four games remaining in the regular season and need all the points they can get. I want to see if James Reimer and the San Jose Sharks can be a spoiler.

What to watch for:

Desperation from Vegas – and resiliency by the Sharks. By all metrics, tonight’s game should be a layup win for Thompson and the Golden Knights. But the Sharks have recently played one-goal games with strong teams like the Minnesota Wild, Dallas Stars and Nashville Predators.

Thompson is the de facto starter for the Golden Knights with Robin Lehner’s availability in question and he’s earned it. In his rookie season, Thompson has a .920 save percentage in 15 appearances. Earlier this year when Lehner was unavailable due to injury, and fellow netminder Laurent Brossoit was struggling, Thompson stabilized the crease in Vegas. Now it’s his job to win the remaining games left on the schedule and help VGK make the Stanley Cup playoffs.

Reimer hasn’t won a game since Mar. 26, but he’s had a really consistent year in goal for the San Jose Sharks. He has a .913 save percentage despite winning only 18 of 44 starts. Reimer is one of the more technical, positionally-oriented goaltenders in the NHL. He may not be the most dynamic. But he’s usually in position to make the save.

What fantasy owners should do:

Start Thompson. Sit Reimer. VGK is close to having a full roster and they’re desperate. Whereas San Jose can’t wait for the season to be over.

Bottom line for Logan Thompson:

Block out the noise and make one save at a time.

Bottom line for James Reimer:

With the Sharks out of the Stanley Cup playoff picture, there’s no pressure. Take pride in playing hard. And have fun.