McKenna’s Matchup of the Day: Dec. 30 – Vitek Vanecek vs. Tristan Jarry

Former NHL netminder Mike McKenna provides his Daily Faceoff Starting Goalie Matchup of the Day for Fri. Dec. 30, 2022:

Why I like this matchup:

Vanecek and Jarry have had extended runs of great play during the 2022-23 NHL season. But both have hit the skids recently. Which goaltender recovers tonight?

What to watch for:

Despite not winning since Dec. 6, I think Vanecek has been pretty solid recently for the Devils. But New Jersey has had trouble scoring, and they’ve given up some catastrophic chances against. The challenge for Vanecek, I believe, is to grab a game by the throat and win it for his club. Sometimes a big goaltending performance can be a catalyst. And I think the Devils are at that point. Vanecek’s .910 save percentage looks good at a glance, but it’s been steadily dropping over the past month of action.

After finishing a stretch of 13 straight games without a loss in regulation, Jarry has cooled off. In his last two outings, Jarry has allowed nine goals on 78 shots. That’s a lot of rubber, and each performance could have been worse. But how does Jarry recover and break out of the mini Holiday funk? Recently the Devils haven’t been the offensive dynamo that they were early in the season, but New Jersey still boasts an extremely talented lineup.

What fantasy owners should do:

Vanecek has been a steady fantasy performer in several categories, but be wary of saves and wins. He hasn’t had many lately. I’d be hesitant to start him against a hungry Penguins team. As for Jarry, play him. He’s been good in every fantasy metric.

Bottom line for Vitek Vanecek:

Average goaltending won’t be enough for the Devils. Vanecek has to regain the form he showed early in the season.

Bottom line for Tristan Jarry:

He needs a strong performance at even strength to pick up the win.