Arizona Coyotes goaltender Karel Vejmelka was named the NHL Players Association’s Player of the Week. The 27-year-old recorded three wins where he only allowed two goals on 77 shots while posting a 0.73 goals against average and .974 save percentage. 20231216_VejmelkaPostGame_FTP The last time Vejmelka won a game before this stretch was on October 21 as he was struggling, being forced to watch Connor Ingram from the bench for large parts of the end of November and beginning of December. Now however Vejmelka has finally found his game. It all started last Saturday when he recorded his first shutout of the season against the Buffalo Sabres enroute to a Coyotes 2-0 victory. Then on Tuesday, Ingram let up three goals in the first period against the Ottawa Senators and Vejmelka was tasked with coming into the game. He refused to give up another goal and led the Coyotes to a miraculous come from behind victory. He followed that up with a solid 29-save performance on the road against the San Jose Sharks in what was a 5-2 victory for the Coyotes. Even during Vejmelka’s struggles, coach André Tourigny never lost faith in his goalie, repeatedly showering him with praise and saying that his time in the spotlight will eventually come. With Vejmelka back in form, the Coyotes should start both their goalies pretty evenly, a strategy they were committed to early on in the season which will help Vejmelka and Ingram stay sharp while also getting the necessary rest. It may just be one small stretch, but this is extremely positive for Vejmelka’s confidence and the rest of this Coyotes team that will need Vejmelka to keep standing on his head.
