Mammoth's Karel Vejmelka: Can't shake skid in time
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Vejmelka allowed four goals on 25 shots in Friday's 5-1 loss to the Golden Knights in Game 6. The fifth goal was an empty-netter.
Vejmelka helped the Mammoth to a 2-1 series lead after Game 3, but he followed it up by allowing 14 goals over the last three contests of the series. In all, the 29-year-old netminder went 2-4 with a 3.13 GAA and an .883 save percentage over six playoff outings in his first taste of postseason action. He's under contract for four more years, so expect Vejmelka to handle a starter's workload in 2026-27, though perhaps not at the same level as 2025-26, when he led the league with 64 regular-season appearances.
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Mammoth's Karel Vejmelka: Exits ice first
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Vejmelka was the first goalie to leave the ice ahead of Friday's Game 6 clash with Vegas, indicating he'll patrol the home crease, Cole Bagley of KSL Sports reports.
Vejmelka is coming off back-to-back losses in which he gave up a combined 10 goals on 72 shots (.861 save percentage). If the Mammoth are going to force a Game 7 on Sunday, the 29-year-old backstop will need to return to the form he displayed in the first three games of the series when he recorded a 2.36 GAA.
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Mammoth's Karel Vejmelka: Scuffles again in Game 5
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Vejmelka stopped 31 of 36 shots in Wednesday's 5-4 double-overtime loss to the Golden Knights in Game 5.
Vejmelka allowed just seven goals over the first three games of the series, but he's given up to 10 goals on 72 shots in a pair of defeats past regulation in Games 4 and 5. The 29-year-old's lack of playoff experience, along with a heavy regular-season workload, may be factors in his fade. The Mammoth can't afford another dud from Vejmelka if he starts in a must-win Game 6 at home Friday.
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Mammoth's Karel Vejmelka: Expected to start in Game 5
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Vejmelka is expected to start on the road against Vegas in Game 5 on Wednesday, per Brogan Houston of the Deseret News.
Vejmelka will attempt to rebound after allowing five goals on 36 shots in a 5-4 overtime loss to Vegas on Monday. He's 2-2 with a 2.80 GAA and an .899 save percentage in four playoff outings this year. Although Vegas has some elite forwards, the Golden Knights didn't dominate offensively during the regular season, finishing 14th in goals per game with 3.22.
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Mammoth's Karel Vejmelka: Beaten five times Monday
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Vejmelka stopped 31 of 36 shots in Monday's 5-4 overtime loss to the Golden Knights in Game 4 of their first-round series.
Vejmelka was coming off back-to-back wins in which he had given up exactly two goals each time, but he wasn't able to do so again here. It was an unfortunate game for Vejmelka, as the Mammoth had a 4-3 lead in the third period, but he couldn't hold on and allowed two unanswered goals -- including the decisive one with less than a minute to go in overtime. Through four playoff starts, Vejmelka has gone 2-2-0 with a 2.80 GAA and an .899 save percentage. The 29-year-old should remain the starter for Game 5 on the road Wednesday.
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Mammoth's Karel Vejmelka: Tending twine in Game 4
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Vejmelka will patrol the home crease in Monday's Game 4 versus the Golden Knights, per Steve Carp of The Sporting Tribune.
Vejmelka will look to stay hot Monday after recording back-to-back wins in Game 2 and Game 3, respectively. He has now been called upon to start in all four games of Utah's first-round matchup. Vejmelka has fared well in the series with a 2-1-0 record, a 2.36 GAA and a .916 save percentage. With his 40th win between the regular season and playoffs behind him, the 29-year-old netminder will aim to win his ninth game over his last 12 outings dating back to March 28.
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Mammoth's Karel Vejmelka: Secures win in Game 3
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Vejmelka stopped 30 of 32 shots in Friday's 4-2 win over the Golden Knights in Game 3.
The Mammoth didn't generate a lot of chances at the other end, but they scored on four of their 12 shots on net. That gave Vejmelka enough support to work with even as the Golden Knights got a couple of goals back to make things close. Vejmelka has stopped 76 of 83 shots over the first three games of this series, which the Mammoth now lead 2-1. He's likely to get the nod again after two days of rest when the puck drops Monday for Game 4.
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Mammoth's Karel Vejmelka: Guarding cage in Game 3
Rotowire
Vejmelka will protect the home goal in Game 3 on Friday versus the Golden Knights, Jesse Granger of The Athletic reports.
Vejmelka helped the Mammoth tie the series in Game 2, stopping19 of 21 shots. He's given up five goals on 51 shots over the first two contests of the playoffs. As long as he can keep things close, Vejmelka is likely to get the vast majority of the starts in goal after leading the NHL in appearances in the regular season with 64.
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Mammoth's Karel Vejmelka: Picks up win in Game 2
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Vejmelka allowed two goals on 22 shots in Tuesday's 3-2 win over the Golden Knights in Game 2.
The Mammoth scored a goal in each period, and Vejmelka was able to shut the door on Vegas in the third to pick up his first career playoff win. This is the first time in five outings he's allowed fewer than three goals. He's given up five goals on 52 shots over two games against the Golden Knights in the first round, and he'll likely be back in goal Friday for Game 3 in Utah.
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Mammoth's Karel Vejmelka: Looking to even series Tuesday
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Vejmelka will defend the road cage in Game 2 against the Golden Knights on Tuesday, according to Brogan Houston of the Deseret News.
Vejmelka allowed three goals on 30 shots in Sunday's 4-2 loss in Game 1. It marked the fourth straight game in which the Czech netminder has conceded exactly three goals. Furthermore, Vejmelka has been beaten for at least three goals in six of his last seven outings. There will be a change for the home team in Game 2, as Vegas is splitting up its top line -- Mitch Marner is shifting to the second-line center, while Ivan Barbashev will slot in with Jack Eichel and Mark Stone.
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Mammoth's Karel Vejmelka: Loses playoff debut
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Vejmelka stopped 27 of 30 shots in Sunday's 4-2 loss to the Golden Knights in Game 1. The fourth goal was an empty-netter.
Vejmelka worked hard to get the Mammoth to the playoffs, but there will be no easy matchups the rest of the way. This was the 29-year-old's first taste of postseason action. He went 38-20-3 with a 2.75 GAA and an .896 save percentage over 64 regular-season outings. Vejmelka was also on Czechia's Olympic roster, though he didn't get to play a game during that tournament. Barring a truly awful performance, Vejmelka should be expected to see the vast majority of the starts during Utah's first playoff run as a franchise.
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Mammoth's Karel Vejmelka: First off ahead of Game 1
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Vejmelka was the first goalie off the ice at the morning skate, Cole Bagley of KSL Sports reports, indicating Vejmelka will defend the road net in Game 1 against Vegas on Sunday.
Vejmelka went 2-1-0 versus the Golden Knights during the regular season, allowing only five goals on 95 shots. He had a 38-20-3 record with two shutouts, a 2.75 GAA and an .896 save percentage across 64 appearances in the 2025-26 regular season.
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Mammoth's Karel Vejmelka: Gets hook Thursday
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Vejmelka gave up three goals on 18 shots before being replaced by Vitek Vanecek to begin the third period of Thursday's 5-3 loss to the Blues.
The switch didn't seem to be prompted by the score or by Vejmelka's play -- the score was tied 3-3 after 40 minutes -- but with the Mammoth locked into a wild-card spot, coach Andre Tourigny elected to give his No. 1 netminder a little bit of extra rest ahead of the playoffs. Vejmelka finishes the regular season with a career-high 38 wins, one short of NHL leader Andrei Vasilevskiy, along with a 2.75 GAA, an .896 save percentage and a league-leading 64 outings and 3,692:45 in ice time.
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Mammoth's Karel Vejmelka: Won't dress against Calgary
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Vejmelka won't dress for Sunday's road game against Calgary for an undisclosed reason.
While the exact reason for Vejmelka's absence isn't yet clear, he's likely getting a night off since the Mammoth have clinched a playoff spot. Vitek Vanecek will draw the start against Calgary, while Matt Villalta was called up from AHL Tucson to serve as the No. 2 option. It's not yet clear whether Vejmelka will start in either of Utah's final two regular-season games, which are Tuesday at home against Winnipeg and Thursday at home against the Blues.
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Mammoth's Karel Vejmelka: Tending twine Tuesday
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Vejmelka will guard the home goal versus the Oilers on Tuesday.
Vejmelka has won three outings in a row, a span in which the Mammoth have outscored opponents 19-8. The 29-year-old netminder will look to keep things rolling in a tougher matchup, which could end up being a playoff preview as well. Vejmelka continues to lead the NHL in appearances -- this will be his 60th of the campaign.
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Mammoth's Karel Vejmelka: Extends winning streak
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Vejmelka stopped 19 of 23 shots in Saturday's 7-4 win over the Canucks.
Vejmelka didn't have his best performance against one of the worst offenses in the NHL, but the offense provided him enough support to extend his winning streak to three games. Even though this was a down performance for the 29-year-old goaltender, he had posted a save percentage of at least . 915 in three of his previous four starts, so he remains a player worth trusting in all formats down the stretch of the regular season. Vejmelka has made six appearances in a row, going 4-1-0 with a 3.12 GAA and an .887 save percentage over that stretch.
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Mammoth's Karel Vejmelka: Starting once again
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Vejmelka will get the start in Saturday's road game against the Canucks,
With no back-to-backs lately and the Mammoth in the thick of the playoff chase, Vejmelka has seen the lion's share of starts in net. It will be the fifth start in the past six games and the sixth straight appearance for the 29-year-old. He brings a 34-19-3 record, 2.68 GAA and an .898 save percentage into Saturday's game against the league-worst Canucks. Vancouver has lost seven of its last eight games.
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Mammoth's Karel Vejmelka: Overcomes shaky start
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Vejmelka allowed two goals on 27 shots in Thursday's 6-2 win over the Kraken.
Vejmelka allowed the first two goals of the game, but he was able to settle in well after that. The Mammoth helped him bounce back, scoring six unanswered tallies to secure the win. Vejmelka has won four of his last six outings, giving up just 11 goals on 138 shots (.920 save percentage) in that span. For the season, he improved to 34-19-3 with a with a 2.68 GAA and an .898 save percentage over 58 appearances. The Mammoth are leading the Western Conference's wild-card race, but Vejmelka should still see plenty of playing time until their playoff spot is secured. He would have a favorable matchup if he starts Saturday in Vancouver to close out this three-game road trip.
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Mammoth's Karel Vejmelka: Enters game in relief
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Vejmelka stopped the only shot he faced in relief of Vitek Vanecek in Thursday's 7-4 loss to the Capitals.
Vejmelka logged 7:17 on the ice, and he was pulled for an extra skater, allowing Alex Ovechkin to net an empty-netter to complete his hat trick. The 29-year-old Vejmelka was pulled from his last start, but it doesn't look like a goalie crisis is brewing for the Mammoth. On the year, Vejmelka is 32-19-3 with a 2.71 GAA and an .897 save percentage, and he'll likely get the nod in a critical matchup in Los Angeles on Saturday.
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Mammoth's Karel Vejmelka: Guarding goal Tuesday
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Vejmelka will guard the home goal versus the Oilers on Tuesday.
With a tough opponent in town, Vejmelka will get the nod for the third time in four games. He's won his last two outings, though he went 0-2-1 in the three contests before that. The Oilers are struggling with just 14 goals scored over their last six games, going 2-3-1 in that span.
