McKenna’s Matchup of the Day: Jan. 16 – Darcy Kuemper vs. Ilya Sorokin

Former NHL netminder Mike McKenna provides his Daily Faceoff Starting Goalie Matchup of the Day for Mon. Jan. 16, 2023:

Why I like this matchup:

Kuemper and Sorokin have been excellent this year for the Capitals and Islanders. And I think tonight is an intriguing matchup because stylistically, the two goalies play very differently. Washington and Long Island are currently separated by three points in the Eastern conference Wild Card standings. This game matters.

What to watch for:

Sorokin is almost always square to the shooter. And Kuemper uses his size to his advantage. Sorokin does a great job of rotating and staying within the crease. Kuemper tends to chase outside the blue paint. But they’re both effective.

Kuemper’s .918 save percentage is impressive considering that he’s only won 12 of 28 starts this year. To me, it shows that he’s given his team a chance to win on many nights where they didn’t have any juice. That said, Kuemper has given up seven goals in his past two games and lost them both.

Where would the Islanders be without Sorokin? Out of the Stanley Cup playoff picture, that’s where. In his past 10 starts, Sorokin has allowed just one goal five times. He’s stealing games and keeping his team in the hunt. Sorokin’s crease movements and body control are second to none.

Despite playing 33 games already this season, Sorokin is facing the Capitals for the first time. And the head-to-head matchup with fellow Russian superstar Alex Ovechkin is all kinds of juicy. I’m sure Sorokin has had this game circled on the calendar for a while.

What fantasy owners should do:

Start them both. Sorokin hasn’t produced the wins fantasy owners crave but he’s a dynamo in every other category. And I think Kuemper should be fine against the Isles.

Bottom line for Darcy Kuemper:

Time for a bounce back game. Dropping two straight happens, but three in a row would be concerning.

Bottom line for Ilya Sorokin:

Don’t change a thing.