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    Home / Analysis / Samsonov vs Vanecek: round two is a vibe

    Samsonov vs Vanecek: round two is a vibe

    By Peter Hassett

     11 Comments

    October 13, 2021 10:18 am

    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:

    1. Samsonov’s injury,
    2. Holtby’s exit,
    3. the Lundqvist signing and aborted farewell campaign,
    4. Samsonov got COVID,
    5. the Anderson add-on,
    6. months of dueling without a clear winner,
    7. Samsonov got suspended (fun fact: we still don’t know why!),
    8. Vanecek won the starting position by default,
    9. Vanecek instantly got injured,
    10. Anderson took over and stood on his head,
    11. Samsonov returned and played great, then
    12. did a mondo goof-up behind his net, then
    13. the Caps got eliminated, then
    14. Vanecek got selected in the expansion draft, then
    15. the Caps got Vanecek back from Seattle and
    16. 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

    Ilya Samsonov, vibe, Vitek Vanecek
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