Hockey Club's Karel Vejmelka: Can't buy win despite strong play
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Vejmelka made 30 saves in a 1-0 loss to Boston on Thursday.
The loss wasn't on Vejmelka, who was sharp throughout and beaten just once on the power play. Utah is a fast team, but they looked slow against Boston which slowed the game down and clogged every lane. Utah has lost three straight games, and Vejmelka is 1-5-0 in six starts this season. His 2.37 GAA and .922 save percentage are excellent, though, so watch for his value to rise once his teammates start scoring a few more goals to support him.
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Hockey Club's Karel Vejmelka: In goal Thursday
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Vejmelka will get the starting nod on the road against Boston on Thursday, Cole Bagley of KSL Sports reports.
Vejmelka will likely be between the pipes for three of Utah's next four outings since Connor Ingram (upper body) was placed on injured reserve Wednesday and won't travel with the team. For his part, Vejmelka is 1-4-0 despite a decent 2.58 GAA in his seven appearances this season. Look for the Czech backstop to split a back-to-back Saturday and Sunday against the Penguins and Maple Leafs, respectively, with the recently recalled Jaxson Stauber.
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Hockey Club's Karel Vejmelka: Gives up two goals in relief
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Vejmelka stopped nine of 11 shots in relief during Monday's 6-2 loss to the Capitals.
Vejmelka replaced Connor Ingram midway through the second period, and he was beaten twice over a 2:26 period in the final frame. Vejmelka had a career-best performance in the 4-1 win over the Hurricanes on Nov. 13, stopping 49 of 50 shots, but he's allowed five goals on 39 shots in his two outings since then.
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Hockey Club's Karel Vejmelka: Defeated by Golden Knights
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Vejmelka stopped 25 of 28 shots in Friday's 4-2 loss to the Golden Knights. The fourth goal was an empty-netter with 29 seconds left in the third period.
Vejmelka couldn't repeat the dominant display he delivered in the 4-1 win over the Hurricanes on Wednesday when he recorded a career-high 49 saves. He received a defeat in Friday's contest despite keeping a shutout until the late stages of the second period. Even though Vejmelka has lost in four of his six appearances this season, his overall numbers have turned out to be quite good for a backup netminder, owning a 2.49 GAA and a .921 save percentage.
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Hockey Club's Karel Vejmelka: Tending twine Friday
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Vejmelka will be between the visiting pipes in Vegas on Friday, Cole Bagley of KSL Sports reports.
Vejmelka was sensational as he picked up his first win of the season Wednesday, turning aside 49 shots in a 4-1 win over Carolina. He is 1-3-0 with a gaudy 2.37 GAA and a .926 save percentage. The Golden Knights have averaged 4.13 goals per game this season, good for third overall in the NHL.
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Hockey Club's Karel Vejmelka: Makes career-high 49 saves
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Vejmelka stopped 49 of 50 shots in Wednesday's 4-1 win over the Hurricanes.
The 28-year-old netminder delivered the best performance of his career in Wednesday's win, shutting down one of the best offenses in the Eastern Conference and only allowing a power-play goal in the second period, courtesy of Martin Necas, who happens to be one of the hottest players in the league at the moment. Vejmelka is not expected to steal the starting role from Connor Ingram, but this was undoubtedly an eye-popping performance. Through five appearances this season, Vejmelka has gone 1-3-0 with a 2.37 GAA and a .926 save percentage.
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Hockey Club's Karel Vejmelka: Starting Wednesday
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Vejmelka will patrol the home crease Wednesday versus Carolina, according to Belle Fraser of The Salt Lake Tribune.
Vejmelka is still seeking his first win of 2024-25. He has surrendered 10 goals on 99 shots en route to a record of 0-3-0 through four appearances this season. Carolina ranks second in the league with 4.21 goals per game this campaign.
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Hockey Club's Karel Vejmelka: Third loss of season Tuesday
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Vejmelka stopped 25 of 27 shots in the 3-0 loss to the Jets on Tuesday. The third goal was an empty-netter with 2:59 left in the third period.
Making his third start and fourth appearance of the season Tuesday, Vejmelka couldn't end the woeful run he's going through, and he's now allowed at least two goals in each of his starts. This translates to a 0-3-0 record with a .899 save percentage and a 2.75 GAA. Connor Ingram should return to the Utah crease for the Thursday game at St. Louis, and there's no realistic path that would allow Vejmelka to earn more playing time in the foreseeable future.
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Hockey Club's Karel Vejmelka: Looking for first win of season
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Vejmelka will guard the road crease versus Winnipeg on Tuesday, per Belle Fraser of The Salt Lake Tribune.
Vejmelka will make his third start and fourth appearance of the season Tuesday. The 28-year-old has allowed at least three goals in each of his two starts. Vejmelka hasn't played since Oct. 24 against Colorado, and he'll have a tough assignment with a Jets club that ranks first in the league with a whopping 4.92 goals per game through 12 contests. To this point, Vejmelka is 0-2-0 with an .889 save percentage and a 3.04 GAA.
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Hockey Club's Karel Vejmelka: Allows five goals in loss
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Vejmelka allowed five goals on 26 shots in Thursday's 5-1 loss to the Avalanche.
Vejmelka finally got to see Utah score while he was on the ice -- the team had not given him any support over his first two appearances. Still, the Avalanche's resurgent offense was far stronger, as they went 2-for-3 on the power play. Utah was electric early in the season, but it'll be tough for the goalies to keep the team competitive if the offense continues to be cold. Utah's next game is a visit to Los Angeles on Saturday, and it wouldn't be surprising to see Connor Ingram start that one.
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Hockey Club's Karel Vejmelka: Slated to start Thursday
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Vejmelka was the first goaltender off the ice at morning skate and is slated to get the home start versus Colorado on Thursday, according to Cole Bagley of KSL Sports.
Vejmelka saw some action Tuesday as he relieved Connor Ingram and turned aside all 14 shots in a 4-0 loss to Ottawa. Vejmelka is 0-1-0 in two appearances this season, giving up three goals on 46 shots (.935 save percentage). Colorado has scored 24 goals in seven games thus far.
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Hockey Club's Karel Vejmelka: Perfect in relief Tuesday
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Vejmelka stopped all 14 shots he faced in relief of Connor Ingram in Tuesday's 4-0 loss to the Senators.
Ingram was pulled after one period, and Vejmelka took over to finish the contest without the deficit getting any worse. The 28-year-old Vejmelka has made just two appearances this season, stopping 43 of 46 shots, but Utah has yet to score when he's been between the pipes. Vejmelka remains in the backup role, but with Ingram struggling at times, head coach Andre Tourigny could opt to even out the workload between his goalies.
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Hockey Club's Karel Vejmelka: No help in Monday's loss
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Vejmelka turned aside 30 of 33 shots in Monday's 3-0 loss to the Devils.
Making his first start of the season, Vejmelka played well -- two of the three shots that beat him came on New Jersey power plays -- but he got no support from his offense. Connor Ingram has a 3.55 GAA and .871 save percentage despite his 3-0-0 start to the season, but so far Vejmelka appears firmly in the No. 2 role between the pipes for Utah.
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Hockey Club's Karel Vejmelka: Gets starting nod versus Devils
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Vejmelka will be between the road pipes against New Jersey on Monday, Cole Bagley of KSL Sports reports.
Vejmelka will make his first start of the 2024-25 campaign after Connor Ingram opened the year on a three-game winning streak. Utah doesn't have a back-to-back on the schedule until late November, so it may be difficult for fantasy managers to pinpoint exactly when Vejmelka might make future starts, but he seems firmly cemented behind Ingram at this point as the No. 2 option for Utah.
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Hockey Club's Karel Vejmelka: Not great versus Ducks
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Vejmelka allowed five goals on 32 shots in Wednesday's 5-2 preseason loss to the Ducks.
Vejmelka has had a mediocre preseason, allowing 10 goals on 81 shots over three appearances. The 28-year-old's poor exhibition performances may give Connor Ingram the edge for playing time once the regular season begins. That said, both goalies saw plenty of action in 2023-24, and head coach Andre Tourigny could be inclined to alternate starts again this year until a hot hand emerges.
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Hockey Club's Karel Vejmelka: Making preseason start
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Vejmelka will start on the road versus the Ducks in Wednesday's preseason game, per the NHL media site.
Vejmelka will make his third start of the preseason, having previously given up five goals on 49 shots while winning both of his first two starts. Entering the regular season, Vejmelka is poised to compete with Connor Ingram for playing time.
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Hockey Club's Karel Vejmelka: In blue paint Sunday
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Vejmelka will be in net for Sunday's road preseason contest against Colorado.
Vejmelka will make his first appearance of the preseason before eventually giving way to Dylan Wells. Vejmelka was 13-19-2 with an .895 save percentage and a 3.35 GAA in 38 regular-season appearances with Arizona in 2023-24.
Vejmelka stopped 37 of 39 shots in Friday's 3-2 overtime win over the Oilers.
Vejmelka earned his fifth win in his last seven outings, though this was his first good appearance in four games. While it came against an Oilers' lineup sans Connor McDavid, it was still a positive for Vejmelka, who has had a down year. The 27-year-old netminder is at 13-19-2 with a 3.35 GAA and an .895 save percentage through 37 appearances. The Coyotes continue to alternate goalies, which means Connor Ingram will likely get the nod for Sunday's game in Calgary.
