McKenna’s Matchup of the Day: April 25 – Kevin Lankinen vs. Felix Sandstrom

Former NHL netminder Mike McKenna provides his Daily Faceoff Starting Goalie Matchup of the Day for Mon. April 25, 2022:

Why I like this matchup:

Unfortunately it’s the only game of the night, but I am excited to see how Philadelphia Flyers goaltender Felix Sandstrom continues to progress as an NHL goaltender.

What to watch for:

The elephant in the room is that Blackhawks goaltender Kevin Lankinen is fighting for his NHL career. He’s in the second and final season of his current contract and will be an unrestricted free agent when the year concludes. Lankinen has started 27 games and won just six. His .887 save percentage is second worst in the NHL. He needs a strong finish.

The problem is that Lankinen has major structural deficiencies that haven’t been addressed during the season. He attacks pucks by pushing forward into saves. That creates rebounds. Lankinen plays very aggressively in the white ice, which leads to scrambly play because of the distance he needs to cover laterally. And that causes him to reach, which opens holes.

Flyers netminder Felix Sandstrom made his NHL debut back in December and didn’t get another crack at the Philadelphia crease again until April 13. He’s still looking for his first NHL win despite a .915 SV% over three games. Sandstrom has a record of 0-2-1.

Like many Swedish goaltenders, Sandstrom has a strong technical base to draw from. He moves efficiently in and out of post-integrations and prefers to stay at home in his goal crease. In 43 games this year with the AHL Lehigh Valley Phantoms, Sandstrom has a 15-18-5 record to go with a .900 save percentage.

What fantasy owners should do:

Is your team desperate for a win? It’s a tossup. If your team needs saves, both the Blackhawks and Flyers give up a lot of shots. But Philadelphia is fourth-worst in the NHL, giving up an average of 34 shots per game. Everything points to this being a high-scoring game. I would only start one of these goalies if you absolutely had to.

Bottom line for Kevin Lankinen:

He needs to prove that he belongs in the NHL next season.

Bottom line for Felix Sandstrom:

Be confident: the Blackhawks have offensive weapons that can be intimidating. Treat tonight as just another hockey game.