Capitals’ Braden Holtby proves exhaustion is a myth
It seems like it’s a minor miracle that Capitals goaltender Braden Holtby isn’t exhausted.
The Washington starter played 73 games in the regular season this past season, a major uptick from the 48 the year before. And interestingly as the season has gone on and moves into the playoffs, Holtby hasn’t weakened. He has become stronger, and certainly has outplayed New York’s Henrik Lundqvist in the second-round of the playoffs, a series were the Capitals have a 3-1 lead going into Friday’s Game 5.
In this series, Holtby has allowed just five goals and carries a .960 save percentage in four games.
“We’re getting the looks, just not obviously beating their goaltender, or beating their forwards and their defense, who are doing a real good job in front of him,” Rangers coach Alain Vigneault said. “Our puck possession was good tonight. We’ll turn the page, won’t dwell on the past, and focus on the next game.”
Vigneault is right, the Rangers have been better from a puck possession perspective. Per War on Ice, the Caps’ CF% 5-on-5 has been 41.6 percent and 40.6 percent. Both games were Washington wins. Beyond Brooks Orpik going into best mode blocking shots everywhere, Holtby has been a major reason why the Caps are one win away from defeating the Rangers in this series.
Capitals forward Brooks Laich said to the Washington Post after Game 3, “Probably in my tenure, it’s the best goaltending I’ve played in front of.”
Hard to argue. Washington had tried for so long to address its goaltending issues. Between, drafting Semyon Varlamov in the first round and using him and Michal Neuvirth at different points during the Alex Ovechking years in DC. Both goaltenders have found some degree of success elsewhere, but couldn’t get the job done in Washington at a younger age.
Enter Holtby, known for being a little ‘out there’ as far as his pre-game and in-game tendencies. He was paired up with former Nashville/Buffalo goaltending coach Mitch Korn, who is known for accentuating goaltender strengths rather than reinventing the proverbial wheel.
Holtby was big, athletic and cared deeply about his craft. Korn hasn’t changed the way Holtby has played. He just maximized these assets.
Per a story in The New York Times from before the start of the series:
“Are you at the top of your game right now?” a reporter asked Holtby after he shut out the Kings.
Holtby cracked a wry smile.
“I hope I never reach the top of my game,” he said.
In some ways, it’s easy to coach a player with that type of will, but hard because he puts so much pressure on himself.
There are certainly questions about Holtby and whether he can keep up this pace. No goaltender has won a Stanley Cup with playing over 70 games since Martin Brodeur in 2003.
It’s a position that has great demands both physically and mentally and requires immense concentration during an entire game. One slip up, the puck goes into the back of the net, and the complexion of an entire series can change. This is probably a reason why most goalies on contending teams play a lesser amount during the regular season.
Covering Trotz and Korn in Nashville, I know they often keep very detailed tabs on their netminders and exhaustion levels. But it’s no different than a doctor and a patient. A doctor can only treat a patient as well as he or she communicates. If Holtby is tired and won’t say anything, there’s little the coaches can do.
But all evidence indicates that Holtby isn’t tired. Just ask Carl Hagelin, who was stopped on this Game 4 penalty shot – a play that involves an immense amount of concentration and pressure on a goaltender. A score would have tied the game late, and Holtby beat Hagelin.
Then again it has only been one round. And if Washington wants to go deep in the playoffs, he’ll have to carry a greater burden. They’ll worry about it when it happens.
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Josh Cooper is an editor for Puck Daddy on Yahoo Sports. Have a tip? Email him at [email protected] or follow him on Twitter! Follow @joshuacooper
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