McKenna’s Matchup of the Day: Nov. 15 – Matt Murray vs. Casey DeSmith

Former NHL netminder Mike McKenna provides his Daily Faceoff Starting Goalie Matchup of the Day for Tue. Nov. 15, 2022:

Why I like this matchup:

Could there be a sexier matchup? Matt Murray, two-time Stanley Cup champion with the Pittsburgh Penguins, returns to town with his current team, the Toronto Maple Leafs. And, oh by the way, Murray is coming off injured reserve. And he hasn’t played very well in years. And Casey DeSmith is in the process of stealing the Penguins crease from Tristan Jarry. Whoa.

What to watch for:

Which former teammate will reign supreme? Murray and DeSmith spent the entire 2018-19 season together with the Penguins and their numbers largely mirrored one another. DeSmith had a .916 save percentage. Murray a .919. Both had winning records, although Murray was victorious in a greater percentage of his starts. The following year – inexplicably – DeSmith was cast off to the Wilkes Barre Scranton Penguins of the AHL.

Things have changed dramatically since. DeSmith fought back to the NHL and has posted remarkably consistent numbers, as his career. 915 save percentage indicates. While Murray’s career has taken a sharp turn for the worse. Since the 2019 season concluded, Murray is well below the .900 mark.

I think DeSmith is best when he’s calm in the crease and not attacking pucks. At six-foot, he’s not the biggest goalie. So skating routes and being square are paramount for the Penguins netminder. Murray, on the other hand, has the size. He’s 6-foot-5. Yet with his low and wide stance, he tends to play small. Murray gets beaten with clean shots fairly regularly when he fails to adjust his angle. Whereas DeSmith can be overactive at times.

What fantasy owners should do:

It’s Murray’s first game back from injury. Even on a talented Maple Leafs squad, I’d leave him on the bench. DeSmith has won two straight games and posted a save percentage above .900 in four of his six starts. Toronto is scary offensively but I like DeSmith in this matchup.

Bottom line for Matt Murray:

Block out the noise. Every save Murray makes comes with great scrutiny all across Canada. But finding his game early is paramount.

Bottom line for Casey DeSmith:

Keep it simple. Toronto can zip the puck around and has foot speed to match. Staying close to home will keep DeSmith in the fight.