McKenna’s Matchup of the Day: Mar. 13 – Alexandar Georgiev vs. Jake Allen
Former NHL netminder Mike McKenna provides his Daily Faceoff Starting Goalie Matchup of the Day for Mon. Mar. 13, 2023:
Why I like this matchup:
Of all the NHL goaltenders likely to play in the 2022-23 Stanley Cup playoffs, I think Avalanche backstop Alexandar Georgiev might be the most intriguing. I want to see what his game looks like leading up to the postseason. And despite an inexperienced Montreal team in front of him, Allen can steal the occasional game.
What to watch for:
Georgiev has a 2-2-1 record in March with an .880 save percentage. And while five games is a small sample size, it highlights the fact that Georgiev has had a few challenging games recently. Overall, the native of Bulguria has had a very successful first season in the Mile High City. He has a .918 save percentage in 47 outings and has won 28 games. But Georgiev has had several multi-week stretches of tough outings. He can be streaky. I think Georgeiv’s athleticism is high, and his technical game is solid. Keep an eye out to see if he’s retreating when traffic is present: it’s a tell that his confidence isn’t where it needs to be.
It can’t be much fun swimming upstream, but Allen has earned at least one point for Montreal in 17 of 38 appearances. He’s a key leader in the Canadiens locker room and a mentor for goalie partner Samuel Montembeault. At 32 years of age, Allen has plenty of quality hockey left to play. The 2019 Stanley Cup Champion as a member of the St. Louis Blues ranks 24th in moneypuck.com’s goals saved above expected rankings. That’s one spot behind New Jersey Devils goalie Akira Schmid, who has a .927 save percentage in 14 games. Life hasn’t been easy in the Montreal crease, but Allen remains the ultimate pro.
What fantasy owners should do:
Georgiev makes sense to start against Montreal. Most would choose to sit Allen against Colorado, but keep this in mind: Allen previously stopped 34 of 36 Avalanche shots in a mid-December matchup that the Canadiens eventually dropped in overtime. He might be a solid sleeper pick tonight for fantasy owners.
Bottom line for Alexandar Georgiev:
He wanted the chance to be a No.1 NHL goaltender. And he’s earned the crease in Colorado. But the real test will be the Stanley Cup playoffs.
Bottom line for Jake Allen:
There’s 16 games left in Montreal’s season and Allen has an .899 save percentage. He’s never finished a year below 90 percent. No doubt he’s motivated.