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Vitek Vanecek shuts out Arizona in absurdly boring hockey game: Capitals beat Coyotes 2-0

By Chris Cerullo

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April 23, 2022 1:08 am

Friday night into Saturday morning, the Washington Capitals looked to end their long road trip in a good way by beating up on the terrible Arizona Coyotes. With a Washington win, the Coyotes would be just one loss away from defeats in ten games in a row.

Conor Sheary jammed home a loose puck to give the Caps a lead. We got nothing in the second. John Carlson empty netter. Vitek Vanecek shutout.

Capitals beat Coyotes 2-0!

  • It felt like the Caps had the puck for the entire first period but just didn’t do anything with it. Some stages, such as their one power play in the frame, felt like they were moving in slow motion. A terrible thing to occur for a tired recapper.
  • Gotta give a shoutout to the Italian contingent present during this game as I am one myself. We had a Carcone, we had a Capobianco, and we had a Vitelli in net. Aye oh, fuhgeddaboudit. Insert your own Italian hands emojis here.
  • At the start of the game, I was just sitting there listening to Joe B call out names of players on the Coyotes and thinking just how much of a career graveyard Arizona is right now. Phil Kessel, Loui Eriksson, Andrew Ladd, Antoine Roussel, Alex Galchenyuk, Jay Beagle, Anton Stralman, and Shayne Gostisbehere just to name a few.

  • It felt like the Caps once again had the puck for the entire second period yet did little to nothing with it. This was a very poor game to not be able to score goals because it’s like infinity o’clock.
  • Garnet Hathaway had a goal waved off due to a high stick and although Joe B and Locker thought the call was incorrect, I disagree strictly under the written word of the rule which includes deflections off of any player or official. Do I think that type of exact scenario is a little questionable in terms of whether it should stay not a goal? Yep.
  • Wanna know the song I listened to on repeat to stay engaged in this game? This sick ‘Pump It Up’ remix from Endor.
  • Conor Sheary got on the board for his 18th goal of the season which was also his 40th point. Sheary is the fifth-leading scorer on the Caps as the crafty forward continues to prove general manager Brian MacLellan was right to sign him to an extension a year ago.

  • A game that was already supposed to start late just based on time zones…featured a pregame ceremony that made it start even later. And then we got whatever that was for sixty minutes. That should be illegal.
  • The power play straight stunk. They looked like they’d rather be doing anything other than scoring goals.
  • Vitek Vanecek with his fourth shutout of the season and the sixth of his career.

The Caps will now return home to hopefully get some revenge on the Toronto Maple Leafs after Toronto stomped them 7-3 eight days ago. Auston Matthews is still looking for goals 59 and 60 on the season.

Screenshot via NBC Sports Washington

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