McKenna’s Matchup of the Day: April 26 – Juuse Saros vs. Dan Vladar

Former NHL netminder Mike McKenna provides his Daily Faceoff Starting Goalie Matchup of the Day for Tue. April 26, 2022:

Why I like this matchup:

If the Stanley Cup playoffs started tonight, the Calgary Flames and Nashville Predators would face one another in the first round. I want to see if Juuse Saros can repeat his last performance against the Flames: a 3-2 shootout win that occurred one week ago on April 19.

What to watch for:

Tight, close hockey, punctuated by quality goaltending. Both teams have shown that they can play defensive hockey. But Calgary has done so more consistently throughout the season.

Nashville might be lower in the standings than the Flames, but I think this potential matchup could take six or seven games to be decided. And a lot of that is due to the Saros factor. The Finnish netminder can win games on his own, but can he steal an entire series? I think he can.

But before he has that chance, there’s still a week left in the NHL regular season. Saros has allowed 19 goals in his last five games. His save percentage has fallen to .918 when it was above .920 for most of the season. But Saros has risen to the occasion before, and I’d expect him to do the same once the Stanley Cup playoffs begin.

For Calgary, Vladar’s season-long save percentage of .908 might seem pedestrian. But in his first full NHL season, the 24 year old hasn’t just established himself: he’s won 12 of 17 starts.

I like that Vladar is similar in size and build to starter Jacob Markstrom, and that they play a similar style. Teammates know what to expect from both goaltenders: that in turn equals consistency.

What fantasy owners should do:

Start Vladar and Saros.

Bottom line for Juuse Saros:

Tonight is a tune-up: Saros should use this game to build his goalie notebook on one of the top teams in the NHL.

Bottom line for Dan Vladar:

Continue to provide quality minutes. He’s been a bigger part of Calgary’s success than most people realize.