McKenna’s Matchup of the Day: Jan. 23 – Ilya Samsonov vs. Ilya Sorokin

Former NHL netminder Mike McKenna provides his Daily Faceoff Starting Goalie Matchup of the Day for Mon. Jan. 23, 2023:

Why I like this matchup:

Two guys named Ilya battling it out on the frozen slab – how cool is that? All jokes aside, Samsonov and Sorokin have been fantastic for their teams. And both hail from Russia.

What to watch for:

Of the two, Sorokin is the more technical goaltender. The Islanders’ backstopper might have the best body control in the NHL. He rarely ventures outside his posts and swallows up rebounds. And his wizardry in net is the biggest reason why the Islanders are in contention for the Stanley Cup playoffs.

Sorokin has  a.924 save percentage on the season but has dropped his past three outings, allowing 11 goals in the process. The challenge Sorokin has faced lately is that he needs to keep the opposition to two goals or less for the Islanders to have a chance at winning.

Samsonov has decent technical chops but tends to fly by the seat of his pants in net for the Maple Leafs. He’s been a good fit for Toronto this year and has started the last two games, when earlier in the year he split time evenly with goalie partner Matt Murray.

In 19 games, Samsonov has allowed four or more goals only four times compared to Murray’s seven. He’s 4-1-0 since the NHL’s holiday break in December with a .911 save percentage.

What fantasy owners should do:

Start ‘em both and let it ride! I do think Samsonov is more likely to pick up the win. But Sorokin has been a statistical workhorse for fantasy owners.

Bottom line for Ilya Sorokin:

Time to get back in the win column. He’s dropped three straight. Sorokin needs to be flawless on the penalty kill to give his team a chance against the Leafs.

Bottom line for Ilya Samsonov:

The Islanders work, and they crash the net hard. Samsonov will need to stay patient and avoid dropping early.