McKenna’s Matchup of the Day: Nov. 13 – David Rittich vs. Martin Jones
Former NHL netminder Mike McKenna provides his Daily Faceoff Starting Goalie Matchup of the Day for Sun. Nov. 13, 2022:
Why I like this matchup:
Both the Seattle Kraken and Winnipeg Jets have been pleasant surprises. Jones has been a huge part of Seattle’s rise to third place in the Pacific Division. While Rittich has hardly played. I want to see if the Jets netminder can help his team regain first place in the Central.
What to watch for:
Rittich is a fairly explosive goaltender, but over the past few seasons, he hasn’t adapted well to the increase in skill league-wide. Most NHL goaltenders have tried to adapt a more upright stance and incorporate smaller lateral shuffle steps as play moves. But Rittich has stuck with a low and wide stance that locks him into place. Getting square to the shooter has been a challenge. That said, Rittich is 7-4-4 since the start of the 2021-22 campaign. I’m curious to see if he’s made any technical changes.
Going into this season, the Kraken had all kinds of goalie drama. Philip Grubauer was coming off a dreadful season. And Chris Driedger was injured. So Seattle made the prudent move to bring in Jones, and the veteran goaltender has responded. I thought Jones got his career back on track last year with the Philadelphia Flyers – even if the numbers didn’t show it. That team was horrible defensively. What I see now from Jones is a netminder that’s more consistent in his routes and save selections. His game has become more predictable. And that’s a good thing. Jones has a .910 save percentage in 12 games and has made a major impact for the Kraken.
What fantasy owners should do:
Winnipeg is playing their second game in two nights and that’s a tough spot for Rittich. But the Jets are solid. I actually like both goaltenders in this matchup. Jones has exceeded expectations for fantasy owners. I’d start him. Rittich is a question mark but this is a winnable game for the Jets. Despite a bit of risk, I’d start him as well.
Bottom line for David Rittich:
The Jets played in Calgary last night and traveled after the game. Rittich needs a monster first period to give his teammates time to find their legs.
Bottom line for Martin Jones:
Winnipeg has been grinding out wins in close games, including three victories in overtime. I think Jones needs to tidy during regulation time and control the pace of the game.