McKenna’s Matchup of the Day: Mar. 15 – Marc-Andre Fleury vs. Jordan Binnington

Former NHL netminder Mike McKenna provides his Daily Faceoff Starting Goalie Matchup of the Day for Wed. Mar. 15, 2023:

Why I like this matchup:

Straight up: I like these guys. How they play. Their attitude. The entertainment factor. Fleury and Binnington do something in every game that you’ll remember the next day.

What to watch for:

Fleury has been red hot in the Wild’s crease. He’s won five straight and hasn’t allowed more than two goals in any of those games. Fleury’s 2022-23 season has been up and down, but his recent streak comes at the right time of the year. With Minnesota firmly locked into a Stanley Cup playoff spot, and Fleury’s save percentage up to .909, the future Hall of Fame netminder will almost certainly play in his 16th straight postseason.

This season hasn’t been easy for Binnington or his St. Louis teammates. For many reasons, things haven’t gone well in the Gateway City. With the team out of the Stanley Cup playoff picture, the Blues decided to sell at the Mar. 3 trade deadline. And with it has come growing pains amongst the team’s youthful core. Binnington has played a career-high 51 games, but his save percentage (.894) sits below the 90 percent threshold for the first time.

Both Fleury and Binnington are adept puck handlers. They can jumpstart a breakout or clear the defensive zone when necessary. Also, keep an eye on how they utilize their stick in tight. Fleury is especially active: his elite game sense lets him break up centering passes that other goalies wouldn’t have the guts to go after.

What fantasy owners should do:

Following recent trends, starting Fleury and sitting Binnington would make sense. But with forward Kirill Kaprizov out of the Wild lineup, I wouldn’t count out a big performance from the Blues netminder.

Bottom line for Marc-Andre Fleury:

He’s locked in a friendly battle with goalie partner Filip Gustavsson for the No.1 job. And while Stanley Cup rings speak volumes, ‘Flower’ still needs to perform down the stretch run.

Bottom line for Jordan Binnington:

Finishing the 2022-23 season with a string of quality outings would do wonders for Binnington heading into next year.