Up next in our season review, we will look at Washington Capitals goalie Braden Holtby. Was this the season he needed to keep his position as “the guy” in Washington?
Seriously, how does one rate the season that Braden Holtby just wrapped up?
People can easily look at the outcome of his season as a disappointment, while others will look at his performance and compare it to the greats (*cough cough Martin Brodeur). Holtby’s season had its highs and lows, but overall, this season has definitely made it clear that “he is the guy” in Washington. There is a reason his nickname is HoltBeast.
Although Holtby and the Washington Capitals did not reach the Stanley Cup Finals, The Vezina Trophy and Ted Lindsay Trophy finalist can look back at this season and find many reasons to call it a success.
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At the end of the 2014-2015 season, Holtby would be a restricted free agent when the calendar hit July 1st. He expressed many times that he loved being in DC and he wanted to be “the guy” for the Caps between the pipes.
To keep “the guy” the Caps ended up signing Holtby to a $30.5 million, 5-year contract after an arbitration hearing was held in Toronto. Was Holtby worth this much? Would Holtby continue to play at a level that was worth this contract? Let’s take a look at this season.
The Beginnings Holtbeast:
During the 2014-2015 season, Holtby started 73 of 82 games which led all goaltenders in the NHL. Of those starts he had 41 wins which put him at second in the league behind Carey Price’s 44 wins. Had a .923 SV% and a 2.22 GAA during the regular season. During the playoffs Holtby started 13 of the 14 games the Washington Capitals played ending the post-season with a 6 – 7 record. Philipp Grubauer started one game due to Holtby being ill. During the 2015 playoffs Holtby had a .944 SV% and a 1.71 GAA.
The 2014-2015 season was the best of his career. Part of the reason for his success was a core of defensive players in front of him. With Mike Green departing for the Red Wings, that left a big hole in the Caps defensive core. Would this affect Holtby’s play the following season?
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Would 2015-2016 be the year of the Beast?
During the 2015-2016 regular season Holtby started 66 of 82 games, ranking him third overall in the NHL. With a backup like Grubauer, the Caps could let Holtby have a few nights off to rest. This strategy would pay off. Holtby ended the season with 48 wins, which tied Martin Brodeur’s single season win record and ranked him first in the NHL. He had the opportunity to break the record during the final game of the season against the Anaheim Ducks, but head coach Barry Trotz sat him down in preparation for the playoffs. There were critics who voiced their disapproval of this move, but this was the right move. Why risk injury in a game that didn’t matter? Needless to say, at the end of the regular season there was no denying Holtby was “the guy”.
Holtby also posted a .922 SV% (down .001% from 14-15), a 2.20 GAA (down .02 from 14-15) and one assist during the regular season.
The Post-season
Coming into the post-season, Holtby and the Washington Capitals were on fire, but would this fire burn out in the playoffs as it has in years past?
Holtby posted a .942 SV% (down .002% from 14-15), a 1.72 GAA (up .01 from 14-15) and one assist in 12 games, finishing with a record of 6-6. Unfortunately the Caps were eliminated in game six of the second round in the playoffs by the Pittsburgh Penguins in OT after erasing a 3-0 deficit.
Many factors played into the second round loss, but these are the top 4:
- Slow starts against the Penguins
- The rotation of players in the third defensive pairing for Washington
- Orpik’s suspension
- Lack of production from those like Burakovsky, Kuznetsov, and others.
Puck Prose
Season Rating
2015-2016 Rating: 9/10
Conclusions
After coming of his best season in 2014-2015, how could 2015-2016 have been better? Simple answer, continue to work on your game, and stay focused. The 2015-2016 season was in no way a disappointment for Holtby. Sure his save percentage and goals against average may have decreased buy a minimal amount, and he may not have played as many games during the regular season, but his regular season win total says it all. There were games that if it weren’t for Holtby standing on his head in the crease, the Caps may have a few more losses on the season.
There is no doubt that he made the most of the opportunities that were given to him. There is no such thing as a perfect season, but this one comes close. Sure, it would have been nice to see him cap off the season by hoisting the cup, but it wasn’t meant to be.
The season was not all sunshine and rainbows, mistakes were made, after all he is human. Of course there were soft goals that were scored, but show me one goalie this season that this didn’t happen to. Holtby can also be over aggressive which can put the Caps in bad position in the defensive zone.
Next: Will Michael Latta Return To The Washington Capitals?
Holtby is a hardworking, driven player that will not quit. As long as he continues to improve his game (yes there is always room for improvement), stay focused on the task at hand, and not let being “the guy” be overwhelming, the Caps should remain confident for the next five years with Holtby between the pipes.