McKenna’s Matchup of the Day: Nov. 17 – Pavel Francouz vs. Antti Raanta
Former NHL netminder Mike McKenna provides his Daily Faceoff Starting Goalie Matchup of the Day for Thu. Nov. 17, 2022:
Why I like this matchup:
Because I can easily envision the Carolina Hurricanes and Colorado Avalanche playing for the Stanley Cup in the spring of 2023.
What to watch for:
A hot start to the season for Avalanche goaltender Alexandar Georgiev has relegated Francouz into a No. 2 role once again for Colorado. Not that there’s anything wrong with that. Francouz has played enough meaningful hockey for the Avalanche that the team clearly trusts him. At times I think he struggles to rotate efficiently, but Francouz has been a winner his entire career. Easy to say when a goalie plays for Colorado. But there are plenty of NHL teams that would love to have a No. 2 goalie with a career .920 save percentage in 61 appearances.
With recent news that Carolina’s No. 1 goaltender, Frederik Andersen, is not close to returning, all eyes are on Raanta. I think the Finnish netminder is rock solid, which is reflected by his .918 career save percentage. But what’s his top end as a starter? That’s one question for the Hurricanes. A second: can he carry the mail? Raanta’s structured style lends itself to consistency. It’s his 10th year in the NHL. But he’s only started more than 30 games twice.
What fantasy owners should do:
Start ’em both. Raanta hasn’t allowed more than three goals all season, including against Colorado just five days ago. Francouz may only have one win, but in his other three starts his performance has been a positive for fantasy owners.
Bottom line for Pavel Francouz:
His job has remained steady since coming to Colorado: provide quality secondary minutes. And be able to win the occasional big game. Tonight against Carolina is a great example.
Bottom line for Antti Raanta:
Quality games are great. But Raanta has to stay healthy. It’s always a concern, especially with Andersen, his Hurricanes goalie partner, sidelined for the foreseeable future.