McKenna’s Matchup of the Day: Feb. 15 – Igor Shesterkin vs. Arturs Silovs

Former NHL netminder Mike McKenna provides his Daily Faceoff Starting Goalie Matchup of the Day for Wed. Feb. 15, 2023:

Why I like this matchup:

Arturs Silovs makes his first NHL start for the Vancouver Canucks. And he gets to face the reigning Vezina Trophy winner: New York Rangers goalie Igor Shesterkin.

What to watch for:

To see how the 21-year old from Latvia fares against NHL competition. Silovs was taken in the sixth round of the 2019 NHL Draft by the Canucks, so he does have some organizational juice. So far this season with the AHL’s Abbotsford Canucks, he’s been strong. Silovs has a 21-9-4 record and .907 save percentage in the minors. At 6-foot-4, he’s a big goaltender. But Silovs spends a lot of time on his knees. He’s been vulnerable to the glove side this season.

It’s been four games since Shesterkin lost in regulation, picking up two wins recently against the Seattle Kraken and Vancouver Canucks. He wasn’t overly busy in either outing but did allow three goals in each game. But Shesterkin has been incredibly consistent. In his last 20 appearances, the Russian netminder has allowed more than three goals only twice. His skating is among the best in the NHL and Shesterkin has been phenomenal so far during the second half of the season.

What fantasy owners should do:

Silovs could be an intriguing pickup for fantasy owners, but it would likely be for one or two games max as Canucks regular Thatcher Demko is nearing a return to the lineup. As for Shesterkin, he’s a guaranteed starter every game. Especially against the Canucks.

Bottom line for Igor Shesterkin:

Despite a poor record, Vancouver has weapons. Elias Petterson will shoot from everywhere. Shesterkin has to stay alert.

Bottom line for Arturs Silovs:

His quality play in the AHL has earned him this opportunity.