McKenna’s Matchup of the Day: Mar. 1 – Alex Nedeljkovic vs. Antti Raanta

Former NHL netminder Mike McKenna provides his Daily Faceoff Starting Goalie Matchup of the Day for Tues. Mar. 1, 2022:

Why I like this matchup:

Detroit Red Wings goaltender Alex Nedeljkovic faces the Carolina Hurricanes – the team that drafted, developed, and subsequently traded him despite a sensational 2020-21 rookie season.

What to watch for:

Nedeljkovic hasn’t won since Feb. 9. In his last two appearances, Nedeljkovic has allowed 12 goals against in just under 90 minutes of work. Early in the season he outplayed goalie partner Thomas Greiss, but lately it’s been the opposite. Nedeljkovic is 8-3-1 in games where he allows two goals against or less.

I think Nedeljkovic is very talented, but the working environment in Detroit has been difficult of late. He’s one of the best puckhandling goaltenders in the NHL, but teams are now aware of it. The Hurricanes are very disciplined within their structure. I would be surprised if they allow the Red Wings netminder to handle the puck much tonight.

For Antti Raanta, it’s business as usual providing backup minutes for the Hurricanes. He’s 7-3-0-1 on the season in 12 starts. Had it not been for injury – a common theme of Raanta’s career – he would have seen more game action by now. He isn’t an overly athletic or flashy goaltender: Raanta plays a simple, effective positional game.

What fantasy owners should do:

Detroit can be explosive offensively, but Carolina is one of the best teams in the league at defending. The Hurricanes have allowed 10 goals against in their last five games and currently sit atop the Metropolitan division. I would start Raanta and leave Nedeljkovic on the bench.

Bottom line for Alex Nedeljkovic:

Remind the Canes they made a mistake.

Bottom line for Antti Raanta:

Keep it simple and help the Hurricanes get points on the road.