McKenna’s Matchup of the Day: Mar. 27 – Andrei Vasilevskiy vs. Ilya Sorokin
Former NHL netminder Mike McKenna provides his Daily Faceoff Starting Goalie Matchup of the Day for Sun. Mar. 27, 2022:
Why I like this matchup:
I love a game between countrymen. Andrei Vasilevskiy and Ilya Sorokin are two of the best goaltenders on the planet. And they’re both Russian.
What to watch for:
Positioning. Processing. Tracking. Composure. Body control. All of these goaltending key words apply to Vasilevskiy and Sorokin. They’re character traits that I would tell every young goaltender to keep an eye on during this game.
Processing is such an important – and rarely talked about – skill for a goaltender. It’s difficult to teach, which is why I get amped watching goaltenders like Sorokin that connect the dots so well.
Very rarely is he caught off guard. And that awareness allows Sorokin to arrive early, get his feet set, and track the puck efficiently.
I think Sorokin has flown under the radar because the Islanders aren’t going to make the Stanley Cup Playoffs. But don’t let the team’s ranking fool you on his performance: Sorokin owns an impressive 22-13-7 record and .927 save percentage. In his last 10 starts, he’s gone 7-2-1.
Not often do I make a point about the strength of a goaltender, but in Vasilevskiy’s case, it’s worth noting. He’s a beast in the weight room. And you can really see it in his game when Vasilevskiy is forced to abruptly change direction. Because he has such a strong core, the Lightning netminder is able to battle through tenuous situations while still covering a lot of the net. His body control is phenomenal.
What fantasy owners should do:
The Islanders are strong defensively and have played well lately. Fantasy owners should start Sorokin. Vasilevskiy has dropped three straight, but his .926 save percentage in those games is a better gauge of performance. If Vasilevskiy is on your team’s roster, start him.
Bottom line for Andrei Vasilevskiy:
Get back in the win column. Tampa Bay is 4-6-0 in their last 10 games. He’ll need to be active finding pucks through traffic and willing to battle in and around his crease to beat the Islanders.
Bottom line for Ilya Sorokin:
Every game against Vasilevskiy has implications beyond the NHL. If Sorokin wants to play international games for Russia, he needs to beat Vasilevskiy with regularity in head-to-head matchups.