McKenna’s Matchup of the Day: Feb. 16 – Sergei Bobrovsky vs. Darcy Kuemper
Former NHL netminder Mike McKenna provides his Daily Faceoff Starting Goalie Matchup of the Day for Thu. Feb. 16, 2023:
Why I like this matchup:
With a regulation win, the Florida Panthers would tie the Washington Capitals with 62 points – right on the cusp of a wild card slot in the Stanley Cup playoffs. Bobrovky has been hot for the Cats, while Kuemper has been treading water lately for Washington.
What to watch for:
A game with postseason implications always has a heightened sense of importance among the players. And with these two teams, there’s a good chance of a spirited game. Panthers winger Matthew Tkachuk is going to be all over Darcy Kuemper in front of the Capitals crease. And Washington will have to find a way to make up for Alex Ovechkin’s absence from the lineup.
I’ve watched Bobrovsky with a great deal of intrigue this year. He didn’t have the greatest start to the season. And it looked like his goaltending partner, Spencer Knight was destined to take over the Florida crease. But Bobrovsky has flipped the script so far in the calendar year of 2023, posting a .919 save percentage in 12 starts. He’s gone 5-1-1 in his last seven games and looked as confident as ever.
Kuemper hasn’t had the same fortune as Bobrovsky in 2023. He’s gone 6-6-1 with a .908 save percentage. Not bad. But also not up to the level Kuemper had been playing at for most of the 2022-23 NHL season. Simply put: Kuemper has been one save away too often recently. But he does have two shutouts since Jan. 1, as well as a 27-save performance against the NHL-leading Boston Bruins in which he allowed only one goal.
What fantasy owners should do:
Start both goalies. Bob has the occasional blowup but he’s also allowed just one goal in four of the last seven games in which he was the goaltender of record. Kuemper has five shutouts – an invaluable category for fantasy owners.
Bottom line for Sergei Bobrovsky:
It’s the third game of a week-long road trip for the Panthers: he needs to find a groove early.
Bottom line for Darcy Kuemper:
He needs to stop the slide for Washington. The Capitals have lost two in a row.