McKenna’s Matchup of the Day: Oct. 31 – Jonathan Quick vs. Jordan Binnington

Former NHL netminder Mike McKenna provides his Daily Faceoff Starting Goalie Matchup of the Day for Mon. Oct. 31, 2022:

Why I like this matchup:

St. Louis has lost four straight games and Los Angeles is trying to make up ground in the Pacific Division. And lately, both teams have struggled to keep the puck out of their net.

What to watch for:

Binnington started off hot. He allowed just seven goals in his first five starts. But things went sideways in his last outing against Montreal, when he allowed six goals on 24 shots. From what I’ve seen this year, I think his game against the Canadiens was a one-off. Binnington was good in his four other starts. He’s been confident in his positioning and puckhandling.

Quick has some of the best reflexes in the world, but he relies so heavily on them that his positional game hasn’t been updated in years. He prefers to reach for pucks rather than push. And his over-usage of paddle-down has caused easy goals against in the top half of the net. But against a transition team like St. Louis, his freeform style could be of benefit. Quick is best when he’s patient and allows the play to come to him.

What fantasy owners should do:

Quick has allowed three or more goals in five of his six starts. And his record is 2-4-0. Against St. Louis, a team that needs a big response game, I’d leave him on the bench. Binnington, however, I would start. He’s had four quality starts in five games.

Bottom line for Jonathan Quick:

His play has to improve for the Kings to make the playoffs.

Bottom line for Jordan Binnington:

He needs a strong game at even strength. The Kings have scored an NHL-best 24 goals during 5-on-5 play.