McKenna’s Matchup of the day: Oct. 28 – Ilya Sorokin vs. Frederik Andersen

Former NHL netminder Mike McKenna provides his Daily Faceoff Starting Goalie Matchup of the Day for Fri. Oct. 28, 2022:

Why I like this matchup:

Sorokin is the most valuable player on the Islanders – by a wide margin. And Andersen continues to be a consistent performer for the Hurricanes: he has a career regular season NHL record of 264-115-51.

What to watch for:

Technical prowess and efficiency. Sorokin and Andersen are both great examples for youth hockey goalies to learn from. Of the two, I think Sorokin is a better skater and probably has more top-end skill. But Andersen has been so reliable over the course of his career, save for one bad season with the Toronto Maple Leafs.

Consistency comes from repetition. And I think Sorokin and Andersen have both honed their crafts to the point where playing games is automatic. They don’t have to think much about it. And that’s a great place to be mentally.

Sorokin is one of the best in the NHL at getting square to the shot, mostly due to his skating. He rotates efficiently and rarely strays far away from home. Sorokin is balanced on his edges. Andersen can be much the same, but occasionally will cheat on bad angle shots. The Hurricanes goaltender is at his best when he’s making small adjustments as the shot location changes.

What fantasy owners should do:

Start them both. Sorokin could win a Vezina Trophy if the Islanders were better. Andersen doesn’t have to worry about that in Carolina: the Hurricanes are one of the top teams in the NHL.

Bottom line for Ilya Sorokin:

When he allows fewer than two goals against, the Islanders win.

Bottom line for Frederik Andersen:

Keep on keepin’ on.