Former NHL netminder Mike McKenna provides his Daily Faceoff Starting Goalie Matchup of the Day for Sat. Feb. 25, 2023:
Why I like this matchup:
The Dallas Stars are leading the Central Division and the Vegas Golden Knights are tops in the Pacific. And there’s more to it: Dallas head coach Pete DeBoer was fired by the Golden Knights after the 2021-22 NHL season. So there’s more to tonight’s game than just the goalie matchup. But in the crease, Oettinger has been one of the NHL’s top goaltenders this season. And Brossoit looked strong Thursday against the Calgary Flames – his first NHL start in 11 months.
What to watch for:
Oettinger is 6-foot-4 and Brossoit is 6-foot-3. They present big vertically and take up a lot of net visually.
Of the two, Oettinger is the more active skater. He is constantly adjusting his angle with quick shuffle steps and crease movements. Brossoit is slightly more passive in his movements, but he is extremely precise. When the Golden Knights netminder is at his best, he arrives early and pucks hit him. Brossoit is very economical.
Oettinger struggles to rotate and times, and will end up chasing the game laterally. But for Brossoit, rotating is one of his strengths. He gets to his posts cleanly. But the Vegas backstop does occasionally linger in RVH too long, and the upper part of the net can be exploited. Especially to his blocker side.
Oettinger has a .925 save percentage to go with a 23-8-9 record. Overtime has been a struggle. And he hasn’t won since Feb. 8 as the Stars have been on a slide recently. In the Vegas crease, Brossoit makes his second start of the season. He has a career .906 save percentage in 108 appearances.
What fantasy owners should do:
I like both goalies in this game. But Dallas is due for a breakout, so be cautious starting Brossoit. Oettinger has shown well all season long from a Fantasy standpoint.
Bottom line for Jake Oettinger:
Stay in the blue paint. Vegas has had success lately going to the net.
Bottom line for Laurent Brossoit:
Dallas can score on the rush, but they also excel at getting pucks to the net. Find lanes through traffic and be ready to battle in tight.