McKenna’s Matchup of the Day: Oct. 14 – Jake Allen vs. Ville Husso

Former NHL netminder Mike McKenna provides his Daily Faceoff Starting Goalie Matchup of the Day for Fri. Oct. 14, 2022:

Why I like this matchup:

I’m always intrigued to see a goaltender debut with a new franchise. Tonight, that’s Ville Husso with the Detroit Red Wings. And I’m curious to see how Jake Allen fares after a big performance Wednesday night against the Toronto Maple Leafs. He stopped 29 of 32 shots and earned the first win of the season for the Montreal Canadiens.

What to watch for:

Allen and Husso are former members of the St. Louis Blues, with whom they studied under goaltending coach David Alexander. Unsurprisingly, they play a similar game rooted in technical proficiency. Husso has great mechanics. He’s rarely out of position. The same can be said of Allen. Both prefer to spend most of their time at a moderate depth in the blue paint.

Where I think Allen really excels is how he reads the game. He’s a very cerebral goaltender. Allen has 354 NHL regular season games under his belt. That experience is invaluable, especially when playing behind a young team like the Canadiens.

For Husso, the biggest challenge will be acclimating to his new surroundings in Detroit. I want to see how comfortable Husso looks playing against odd-man rushes. And especially on the penalty kill. Husso will need to be a great communicator and help direct traffic in the defensive zone until the Red Wings become accustomed to playing together.

What fantasy owners should do:

Playing for a depleted Montreal squad, Allen is always risky if your team needs a win. But he’s going to face a lot of rubber. So if your team needs shots, I’d start him. I think Husso is a wild card, especially given how different Detroit looks on paper compared to last season. I’d be hesitant to start either of them. But Husso is probably the better bet for a quality fantasy night./

Bottom line for Jake Allen:

There’s no pressure in Montreal. For Allen, it’s all about being a veteran leader and giving his team a chance to win.

Bottom line for Ville Husso:

There’s not much room for error in Detroit with goaltending partner Alex Nedeljkovic hungry for starts. Husso needs to grab the crease early in the season and never look back.