McKenna’s Matchup of the Day: Oct. 21 – Philipp Grubauer vs. Pavel Francouz
Former NHL netminder Mike McKenna provides his Daily Faceoff Starting Goalie Matchup of the Day for Fri. Oct. 21, 2022:
Why I like this matchup:
It’s a battle of ex-Avalanche teammates going head-to-head. And both Grubauer and Francouz haven’t had the starts to the 2022-23 season that they wanted. And with internal competition in Seattle and Colorado, neither goalie is guaranteed the crease.
What to watch for:
Grubauer has notably dialed back his aggressive depth from previous seasons, but it has yet to pay off. The Kraken have been brutal defensively, which makes any stylistic changes Grubauer has made harder to notice. The German netminder has faced more than his fair share of backdoor passes and screen shots. I do think, in the long run, the changes he’s made will pay off. But not until Seattle tightens up in front of him.
Francouz is in a very different place than Grubauer. When they were teammates with the Avalanche, Francouz’s No.2 role was clearly defined. With newcomer Alexandar Georgiev as a goalie partner, I think Francouz has a better chance of earning the Avalanche crease by the end of the season. Francouz has nice instincts and he plays a fairly controlled, compact game. But in my eyes, he does struggle to rotate at times, which can lead to him chasing the play laterally. When Francouz plays between the posts, he’s a very effective NHL netminder.
What fantasy owners should do:
Leave Grubauer on the bench for the rest of the season unless your team is desperate for shots on goal. But Francouz should provide value. Colorado is heavily favored in this game. And every game. I would start Francouz whenever possible unless it’s against a team like Edmonton that can score in bunches.
Bottom line for Philipp Grubauer:
Trust the process with stylistic changes. And playing with a chip on his shoulder against his old team would also be a good idea.
Bottom line for Pavel Francouz:
After allowing five goals against the Calgary Flames in his first action of the 2022-23 season, the focus against Seattle should be keeping the Kraken to two goals or fewer.