Previewing the Washington Capitals 2021-22 season in the prevailing vocabulary of our time: vibes.
In this edition: The Capitals have a goalie problem, and it’s the exact same one they had last season.
For a position with so much tumult over the last year and change, Washington’s goalie situation is somehow virtually unchanged from where it was this time last season.
There was:
- Samsonov’s injury,
- Holtby’s exit,
- the Lundqvist signing and aborted farewell campaign,
- Samsonov got COVID,
- the Anderson add-on,
- months of dueling without a clear winner,
- Samsonov got suspended (fun fact: we still don’t know why!),
- Vanecek won the starting position by default,
- Vanecek instantly got injured,
- Anderson took over and stood on his head,
- Samsonov returned and played great, then
- did a mondo goof-up behind his net, then
- the Caps got eliminated, then
- Vanecek got selected in the expansion draft, then
- the Caps got Vanecek back from Seattle and
- re-signed Samsonov to a show-me deal.
And now we’re exactly where we started: Samsonov vs Vanecek. Again.
Neither of these goalies has distinguished himself at the NHL level, and I’d argue there’s precious little difference between either’s on-ice performance. Some 5v5 numbers:
| Samsonov | Vanecek | |
|---|---|---|
| Opponent shots | 384 | 842 |
| Opponent goals | 34 | 69 |
| Save % | 0.911 | 0.918 |
| Opponent xG | 27.7 | 58.9 |
| Goals saved vs xG per hour | -0.44 | -0.35 |
I like both of these players, but I have to admit I’m frustrated that Washington is in the same spot they were in last season: with two unproven goalies who have blown multiple chances to earn the job.
I doubt the fates of Vanecek and Samsonov will remain parallel forever. The situation wasn’t stable last year, and now it feels even less so. But until something changes, the Capitals will have two young fellas in net, both just kinda middling.
So here’s the vibe: Washington’s goalie position is a major weakness… for now.
Next vibe: Kuznetsov comeback szn
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