McKenna’s Matchup of the Day: Mar. 20 – James Reimer vs. Jack Campbell
Former NHL netminder Mike McKenna provides his Daily Faceoff Starting Goalie Matchup of the Day for Mon. Mar. 20, 2023:
Why I like this matchup:
Unfortunately, with Campbell, it’s become a case of ‘what happens next?’ when he tends goal for the Oilers. And Reimer has suddenly found himself in the crosshairs of many hockey fans after – citing religious reasons – refusing to take part in the Sharks’ recent pride night.
What to watch for:
How does Reimer handle the inevitable jeers from the Edmonton crowd? The Sharks goaltender has been labeled everything from a homophobe to a martyr since he chose not to wear a pride-themed jersey in warmups this past Saturday. Reimer has long been regarded as one of the nicest players in hockey, a reputation which has made him easy to root for. But knowing firsthand how ruthless hockey fans can be, he’s going to get an earful tonight in Edmonton. It’ll be interesting to see how he handles it. Reimer has an .895 save percentage and 10-17-7 record in 35 appearances this season.
Campbell has allowed 24 goals in his past five outings. He was pulled once in a non-decision and lost the other four games. Three times during that span, he faced over 38 shots, so it’s not like the Oilers defense was great in front of him. But Campbell hasn’t won since Feb. 11 and has really struggled lately. The crazy part is before his recent slide, Campbell won eight games in a row and didn’t allow more than three goals in any of those outings. Some of his problems are technical, but as shown previously during his career, confidence (or lack thereof) is everything.
What fantasy owners should do:
It’s hard to find a reason to start either goalie. But Cambell did allow just one goal in his last game against San Jose; a 25-save victory on Jan. 13. Maybe tonight will be a catalyst for him. The Sharks are 1-7-2 in their last 10 games.
Bottom line for James Reimer:
Ignore the noise.
Bottom line for Jack Campbell:
Stop the puck.